Inter-American

division

*EAQ141001*

Where legally possible, offerings will go to these projects; otherwise special arrangement will be made with the

General Conference for distribution of funds based on the laws of the countries where these offerings are collected.

Map and information provided by the Office of Adventist Mission

Oct

Nov

Dec 2014

THE BOOK OF JAMES

ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

Havana

Mexico City

Bogota

Caracas

Georgetown

Paramaribo

U. S. A.

MEXICO

BAHAMAS

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

CUBA

PANAMA

EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA

BELIZE

HONDURAS

NICARAGUA

COSTA RICA

JAMAICA

CAYMAN ISLANDS

HAITI

DOM. REP.

PUERTO RICO

ANGUILLA

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

VIRGIN ISLANDS

COLOMBIA

VENEZUELA

ARUBA

TRINIDAD

AND TOBAGO

GRENADA

ST. VINCENT AND

THE GRENADINES

BARBADOS

ST. LUCIA

MARTINIQUE

DOMINICA

GUADELOUPE

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

MONTSERRAT

ST. KITTS AND NEVIS

PERU

BRAZIL

FRENCH

GUIANA

SURINAME

GUYANA

ECUADOR

PACIFIC

OCEAN

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

ORGANIZATION CHURCHES COMPANIES MEMBERSHIP

POPULATION

Inter-American 1 0 141

Atlantic Caribbean 79 13 31,596 446,000

Belize 85 40 39,971 334,000

Caribbean 598 123 227,354 3,753,000

Central Mexican 215 212 76,227 39,422,562

Chiapas Mexican 898 1,801 187,908 4,679,445

Cuban 310 153 34,018 11,258,000

Dominican 720 455 294,814 10,260,000

East Venezuela 501 276 138,487 14,860,275

El Salvador 700 243 210,996 6,307,000

French Antilles-Guiana 147 24 30,534 1,073,000

Guatemala 824 215 248,228 15,428,000

Haitian 539 521 407,349 10,421,000

Honduras 446 220 265,373 8,555,000

Inter-Oceanic Mexican

1,273 1,139 185,486 29,346,470

Jamaica 665 56 278,213 2,712,000

North Colombian 790 608 164,010 20,099,718

North Mexican 575 444 138,886 38,705,362

Puerto Rican 301 21 34,971 3,640,000

South Central American

785 386 299,974 14,606,000

South Colombian 679 332 149,741 27,928,282

Southeast Mexican 442 536 92,838 5,420,161

Venezuela-Antilles 555 268 149,140 15,095,725

Total: 12,128 8,086 3,686,255 284,351,000

Statistics as of December 2013

PROJECTS

Evangelistic Center, Belmopan, Belize

Youth Camp in Northern Belize

Four Community Health Centers, Belize

Medical/Dental Clinic, Kingston, Jamaica

Children’s Project: Dental chair reserved for

children at new clinic in Jamaica

Editorial Assistant

Sharon Thomas-Crews

Pacic Press

Coordinator

Wendy Marcum

Art Director and Illustrator

Lars Justinen

Design

Justinen Creative Group

Editorial Office 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Come visit us at our Web site: http://www.absg.adventist.org

Principal Contributor

Clinton Wahlen

Editor

Clifford R. Goldstein

Associate Editor

Soraya Homayouni

Publication Manager

Lea Alexander Greve

Contents

1 James, the Lord’s Brother—September 27–October 3 6

2 The Perfecting of Our Faith—October 4–10 14

3 Enduring Temptation—October 11–17 22

4 Being and Doing—October 18–24 30

5 Love and the Law—October 25–31 38

6 Faith That Works—November 1–7 46

7 Taming the Tongue—November 8–14 56

8 The Humility of Heavenly Wisdom—November 15–21 64

9 One Lawgiver and Judge—November 22–28 72

10 Weep and Howl!—November 29–December 5 80

11 Getting Ready for the Harvest—December 6–12 88

12 Prayer, Healing, and Restoration—December 13–19 96

13 The Everlasting Gospel—December 20–26 104

Sabbath School Bible Study Guide may be edited, altered, modied, adapted, translated, re-

produced, or published by any person or entity without prior written authorization from the Gen-

eral Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

. The division offices of the General Conference of

Seventh-day Adventists

are authorized to arrange for translation of the Adult Sabbath School

Bible Study Guide, under specic guidelines. Copyright of such translations and their publication

shall remain with the General Conference. “Seventh-day Adventist,” “Adventist,” and the ame

logo are registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

and may

not be used without prior authorization from the General Conference.

he epistle of James has been one of the most misunderstood books of the

Bible. In the Leipzig Debate of 1519, Roman Catholic scholar Johann

Eck used it to challenge Martin Luther’s view of justification by faith

alone, insisting that works needed to be added to the equation.

Luther, in response, eventually denied the epistle’s inspired authorship, mainly on

the mistaken claim that it taught justification by works. In the introduction to his

1522 German translation of the New Testament, Luther indicated his preference for

books like John, 1 John, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and 1 Peter, which reveal

Christ and teach “everything that is needful and blessed . . . to know.”

His preface to the book of James was even more negative. Luther called it “really

an epistle of straw” because it had “nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.”

Although Luther never removed it from the canon of Scripture, he separated it from

what he considered the core of the canon.

Luther’s emphasis on Paul’s epistles, especially Romans and Galatians, and his

rejection of James for anything more than devotional value, has influenced a large

segment of Christian thinking through the centuries.

Who was James anyway? Was he a legalist, combating Paul’s idea of justification

by faith by teaching that justification is really by works? Or was he simply providing

a slightly different perspective on the subject, similar to the several perspectives on

the teachings of Jesus that we find in the Gospels? The answer is, clearly, the latter.

An “Epistle of Straw”?

Not all of the Reformers shared Luther’s low opinion of James. No less a luminary

than Melanchthon, Luther’s closest associate, believed that the writings of Paul and

James were not in conflict.

James had a firsthand knowledge of Jesus. In fact, his epistle, of all the epistles,

may very well be the earliest Christian writing in existence, and, of all the epistles,

reflects most closely the teachings of Jesus that we find

in the Gospels. As in the parables of Jesus, imagery

from agriculture and the world of finance is abundant.

Other important themes include wisdom, prayer, and

above all, faith.

James is unique in other ways, too, thereby open-

ing a window for us into some of the struggles that

the earliest Christian congregations faced. With envy,

jealousy, and worldliness creeping into the fold, there

seems to have been societal and cultural pressures that

pitted wealthier Christians against poor ones. We also

see the great controversy being played out as James

attacks counterfeit forms of wisdom and faith.

Most important for Seventh-day Adventists, the epistle of James exudes confi-

dence in the return of Jesus; it also provides crucial perspectives on the law, the judg-

ment, and the Second Coming. Elijah is even presented as a model for us to emulate.

This has special relevance for us, as Seventh-day Adventists, who are entrusted with

preparing the way for Christ’s second advent.

Thus, in some ways, our journey this quarter spans the entire Christian era, as it

includes some of the earliest preaching, as well as special insights for these last days.

Clinton Wahlen, PhD, is an associate director of the Biblical Research Institute at the

General Conference headquarters. His expertise is in the New Testament and its relation

to ancient Judaism. An American, he has lived and worked in Russia, New Zealand,

United Kingdom, and the Philippines. He and his wife, Gina, who works at Adventist

Mission, have two children, Daniel and Heather.

Most important for

Seventh- day Adventists,

the epistle of James exudes

condence in the return

of Jesus; it also provides

crucial perspectives on the

law, the judgment, and

the Second Coming.

Miss prayer meeting?

If you missed the 7:00 prayer meeting in your church, you can still join the virtu-

al prayer chain of believers who are praying at 7 am and 7 pm, seven days a week,

for the Holy Spirit’s presence in our families, leaders, churches, and communi-

ties. By praying wherever you are, at any hour, on the hour, you will unite with

thousands of others who are praying where they are around the world.

“A chain of earnest praying believers should

encircle the world . . .to pray for the Holy Spirit”

(Review and Herald, January 3, 1907).

Join a prayer meeting like no other!

Please pray for:

• The 630 cities around the world being

reached through Mission to the Cities

• The thousands of outreach

activities and events that will take

place in and around the cities

• The strongholds of Satan to be

broken, and relationships with

Christ to be established

• The church members and church

leaders working in these cities

• The people yet to be reached with

the Gospel

• The harvest of souls in the cities

where seeds have been planted

• The work on this earth to be

ﬁnished, and for Christ to come

For a list of cities and more information, go to:

www.MissiontotheCities.org and www.RevivalandReformation.org/777.

January

7-172015

www.TenDaysofPrayer.org

f the 38,000 Seventh-

day Adventists in Belize,

70 percent are young people.

Once each summer, a few

hundred meet on rented

ground to worship, fellowship,

and play. The place is too small

to host more. Their dream is

to have a place to call their

own—a Seventh-day Adventist

youth camp in Belize.

In Jamaica, the dignity of

thousands of street-dwelling

men, women, and children

has been restored at the

Good Samaritan Inn,

where they receive a

hot meal and have the

opportunity to shower, get

a haircut, and do laundry. The

inn also provides a safe night

shelter for women and children.

Now they hope to build a clinic,

providing pre- and post-natal

care, along with dental services

for children and adults.

Thank you for making these

projects a reality through your

generous gifts to this quarter’s

Thirteenth Sabbath Offering.

A Place to Belong

14-4-ABSG Ad BW.indd 1 3/11/14 2:01 PM

Miss prayer meeting?

If you missed the 7:00 prayer meeting in your church, you can still join the virtu-

al prayer chain of believers who are praying at 7 am and 7 pm, seven days a week,

for the Holy Spirit’s presence in our families, leaders, churches, and communi-

ties. By praying wherever you are, at any hour, on the hour, you will unite with

thousands of others who are praying where they are around the world.

“A chain of earnest praying believers should

encircle the world . . .to pray for the Holy Spirit”

(Review and Herald, January 3, 1907).

Join a prayer meeting like no other!

Please pray for:

• The 630 cities around the world being

reached through Mission to the Cities

• The thousands of outreach

activities and events that will take

place in and around the cities

• The strongholds of Satan to be

broken, and relationships with

Christ to be established

• The church members and church

leaders working in these cities

• The people yet to be reached with

the Gospel

• The harvest of souls in the cities

where seeds have been planted

• The work on this earth to be

ﬁnished, and for Christ to come

For a list of cities and more information, go to:

www.MissiontotheCities.org and www.RevivalandReformation.org/777.

January

7-172015

www.TenDaysofPrayer.org

*September 27–October 3

James, the Lord’s Brother

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

John 7:2–5; 1 Cor. 15:5–7;

James 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10; Matt. 7:24–27.

Memory Text:

“ ‘You are My friends if you do whatever I command

you’ ” (John 15:14, NKJV).

e, today, are a long way from the early days of the Christian

church, both time wise and culturally. Thus, we have little

idea of what it was like to belong to the fledgling Christian

movement at a time when many congregations met in homes, and most

believers were Jews persecuted by their fellow Israelites. The letter

of James gives us one of the earliest glimpses of Jewish Christianity

before it disappeared in the fog of Jewish-Christian controversies and

before the marginalization of the Jews by the predominantly Gentile

church of the second century and beyond.

Unlike many of the epistles, it does not seem that some crisis or

urgent need in a local church impelled James to write this epistle.

Rather, it is written to the broader Christian community “scattered

abroad” (James 1:1).

Before we dive into his letter, however, this week we want to try to

learn what we can about the author himself. Some of the questions

we’ll address are: Who was James? What was his background? What

had been his relationship to Jesus? And what position did he hold in

the church?

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 4.

Less o n

September 28

James, the Brother of Jesus

The author of this letter must have been well known in the church

because there is no more specific information in this letter as to who

he is other than what we find in James 1:1: “James, a servant of God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered

abroad, greeting.”

Thus, we can narrow down the options of his identity pretty quickly.

Four people in the New Testament are named James: there are two

of the twelve disciples (Mark 3:17, 18); there is the father of Judas

(another of the Twelve but not Judas Iscariot, Luke 6:16, NKJV

)

and

one of Jesus’ brothers (Mark 6:3). Of these four, only the brother of

Jesus lived long enough and was prominent enough in the church

to have penned such a letter. Thus, we believe that it was James, the

brother of Jesus, who authored this New Testament book.

As a carpenter’s son (Matt. 13:55), James would have had more

educational opportunities than would a common peasant. His letter is

among the best examples of literary Greek in the New Testament. Its

rich vocabulary, rhetorical flair, and command of the Old Testament

are surpassed only by Hebrews. Because his name appears first in the

list of Jesus’ brothers, James was probably the oldest son. However, the

fact that Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John, the beloved

disciple (John 19:26, 27), suggests that His brothers were not Mary’s

own children but the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage.

the context of Jesus’ ministry, read this verse: “When his family heard

about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out

of his mind’ ” (Mark 3:21, NIV; see also John 7:2–5). What do these

texts tell us about how Jesus had been perceived by His own fam-

ily? What lessons can we draw from them for ourselves, if indeed

at times we find ourselves misunderstood by those whom we love?

________________________________________________________

“It was a false conception of the Messiah’s work, and a lack of

faith in the divine character of Jesus, that had led His brothers to

urge Him to present Himself publicly to the people at the Feast of

Tabernacles.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 485, 486.

sunday

September 29

James, the Believer

Read

1 Corinthians 15:5–7 and Acts 1:14. What do they tell us about

the changes that happened to James?

________________________________________________________

Jesus appeared to many after His resurrection, including Peter and

the Twelve (minus Judas Iscariot). Then he appeared to more than five

hundred people at one time. James, apparently, wasn’t at this meet-

ing with the five hundred; Jesus appeared to him separately, and that

appearance must have been special, because it is specifically noted.

Whatever happened at that meeting, the Bible doesn’t say. It must have

made a big impact on him, though, for James did become a faithful

follower of Jesus and an influential leader in the church.

What

else do we know about James? Acts 12:16, 17; 15:13, 14, 19;

21:17–19; Gal. 1:18, 19; 2:9.

________________________________________________________

James quickly became a leading figure in the Jerusalem church. After

his rescue from prison by the angel (.. 44), Peter wanted James to know

what had happened to him (Acts 12:17). Five years later, James presided

at, and announced the decision of, the Jerusalem Council. Paul mentions

him first, before Peter and John, in his listing of the “pillars” in Jerusalem

(Gal. 2:9). Several years after this event (.. 58), when Paul brought

the collection for the poor in Jerusalem from the various churches, the

delegates from each church in turn laid the offerings at the feet of James

(see Ellen G. White, Sketches From the Life of Paul, pp. 208, 209).

James appears to have been held in high esteem for many decades

after the death of the apostles. In fact, so many legends developed about

his piety that he is remembered as “James the Just.” Thus, despite start-

ing out in great doubt about Jesus, James ended up being a spiritual

giant in the early church.

Monday

September 30

James and the Gospel

Unfortunately, perhaps because of Luther’s influence, many Christians

have been unable to see the important message James’s epistle contains.

Without diminishing the contribution Luther made for the church of

his day, we must remember that “the Reformation did not . . . end

with Luther. It is to be continued to the close of this world’s history,”

because “grave errors” were perpetuated by the Reformers and many

“important truths” were still to be revealed.—Ellen G. White, The Story

of Redemption, p. 353.

Thus, the need for the Great Awakening with Jonathan Edwards,

George Whitefield—and the Wesley brothers who gave birth to the

Methodist movement and its emphasis on the vital role of holiness

in the Christian life. The work of reform continued with the Second

Awakening, through which God raised up Seventh-day Adventists to

proclaim the “third angel’s message.” This worldwide proclamation

culminates with the Spirit-filled witness of a people who “keep the

commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12).

Read

James 1:3; 2:5, 22, 23; 5:15. How does faith function in these

passages? What do they tell us about what it means to live by faith?

How do they show us that faith is more than just an intellectual

assent to various propositional truths?

________________________________________________________

It may come as a surprise to some that James refers to believing and

faith 19 times in this short letter, more than his references to works and

justification combined! In fact, the importance of faith is stressed right

at the beginning of the first chapter in connection with trials and asking

for wisdom (vss. 3, 6). This shows that James was not only writing to

believers but that he expects them to have a certain quality of faith. As

we will see, the act of believing, in itself, is of little avail; true faith car-

ries certain recognizable credentials. That is, true faith will be revealed

in the life and character of the believer.

What things do you do on a daily basis that reveal the quality and

reality of your faith? How can you show the reality of your faith,

even in the “small” things?

______________________________________________________

Tuesd ay

October 1

To the Twelve Tribes Scattered Abroad

Read

James 1:1; Acts 11:19–21; and 1 Peter 2:9, 10. Who are these

“twelve tribes,” and how did they become so widely scattered?

________________________________________________________

As we have seen, James wrote to believers. At first, the gospel work

was focused in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47); but, as a result of persecution,

which intensified after the stoning of Stephen, these believers were

scattered, and the seed of the gospel was planted throughout the cities

and surrounding regions of the Roman Empire.

According to Acts 11, the gospel spread to the Gentiles quite

early, beginning in Antioch; so, “the twelve tribes” probably refers to

Christians as a whole. There do not seem to have been different con-

gregations based on ethnicity, which is why the Jerusalem Council soon

had to decide whether believing Gentiles should first become Jews by

being circumcised (Acts 15:1–6) in order to become Christians.

Read

Acts 15:13–21. How does James address the problem the early

church struggled with?

________________________________________________________

A scriptural solution preserved a unified church: James cites Amos’s

prophecy that Israel’s restoration and ultimate expansion would include

Gentiles (Acts 15:16, 17), a decree that is based on Mosaic laws for for-

eign residents themselves (Leviticus 18–20). James addresses his readers

as “the twelve tribes” to remind them of their identity as fellow heirs of

the promise made to Abraham. Peter has a similar idea in mind when he

describes Christians as a “holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9; compare Exod. 19:5,

6), addressing also those “scattered” abroad (1 Pet. 1:1). The Greek word

in both passages is diaspora, which normally referred to Jews living out-

side the geographical boundaries of Israel proper (see John 7:35).

A church scattered abroad? Sounds like us, as Seventh-day

Adventists. Despite the vast cultural, ethnic, and social differ-

ences among us, what unites Seventh-day Adventists in Christ as

a distinctive Protestant movement?

Wedn e sday

October 2

James and Jesus

James had the opportunity to observe Jesus when He was a child,

a youth, and an adult. Then, at some point, James not only believed

in Jesus as the Messiah but became a leader of the Christians in

Jerusalem. And yet, James calls himself not a brother but a “bondser-

vant” (James 1:1, NKJV) of Jesus. Clearly, James learned humility and

true wisdom. Not surprisingly, these are also important themes of this

letter (see James 1:9–11, 21; 3:13–18; 4:6–10).

Compare

the following passages and summarize what they have in

common:

James 1:22 with Matt. 7:24–27 _____________________________

________________________________________________________

James 3:12 with Matt. 7:16 ________________________________

________________________________________________________

James 4:12 with Matt. 7:1 _________________________________

________________________________________________________

The affinity the letter of James has with the teachings of Jesus and

particularly the Sermon on the Mount has been widely recognized.

“Jesus’ pervasive influence underlies the whole of James’s teaching.”

—Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James (Grand Rapids, Mich.:

Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982), p. 50.

From a close comparison of James with the Gospels, it appears that

this letter is not dependent on any of them. Rather, James writes from

an intimate and personal acquaintance with the teachings of Jesus, who

always inspired His listeners to faith and challenged them to exercise it.

As we study the book of James this quarter, we will find a very

similar approach. James is not content with a weak, fruitless, or vacil-

lating faith. As we will see next week, faith dominates the early part of

the book, and James shows how this crucial quality undergirds a vital

relationship with Christ.

Dwell on the quality and reality of your own faith. How real is it?

How deep does it go? How does it enable you to live the Christian

life? What things could you do, and what choices could you make,

that could help improve the quality and depth of your faith?

Thur sday

October 3

Further Study:

“His brothers often brought forward the philosophy of

the Pharisees, which was threadbare and hoary with age, and presumed

to think that they could teach Him who understood all truth, and com-

prehended all mysteries. They freely condemned that which they could

not understand. Their reproaches probed Him to the quick, and His soul

was wearied and distressed. They avowed faith in God, and thought they

were vindicating God, when God was with them in the flesh, and they

knew Him not.

“These things made His path a thorny one to travel. So pained was

Christ by the misapprehension in His own home that it was a relief

to Him to go where it did not exist.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of

Ages, p. 326.

Discussion Questions:

 The letter of James is essentially a handbook on practical

Christian living. It may even have been the first New Testament book

written (some time between a.d. 44 and 49). That is, besides it being a

book on theology, it also tells us how to live out the Christian life. Why

is living out what we believe just as, if not more, important than what

we believe? Or is what we believe more important than how we live

out that belief? For instance, what’s better: a sincere Sunday keeper

who truly and seriously keeps the first day of the week holy or an

insincere Sabbath keeper who “keeps” the seventh-day Sabbath but

doesn’t really take it all that seriously? Give reasons for your answer.

 As we have seen in Sunday’s study, James was the brother of Jesus.

In other words, though Jesus was God Himself, the Creator of all that

was made, He was also human, one of us, even to the point that He

had siblings. How does this amazing concept help us to understand

how the vast gap between heaven and a fallen world was bridged?

What does it say to us, too, about the lengths that God goes to in

order to save fallen humanity? How does the humanity of Christ

help us understand how we can have victory over sin? How does the

humanity of Christ assure us that God understands the reality of our

toils and struggles?

 This week’s lesson mentioned that humility was a theme in James’s

letter. Why is humility so important in the Christian life? That is, in

light of the Cross and what happened there, how dare any of us ever

assume an attitude of arrogance or self-importance, especially when

it comes to spiritual matters?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

God’s Guiding Voice

J C

As teens, my friends and I partied and drank, but I was not satisfied. I

was searching for meaning but didn’t know what it was or where to find it.

Often when we were away from the crowd, our conversation drifted toward

religious topics. Frequently we talked about the existence of God. One boy,

Felix, seemed to know a lot about God. I didn’t know it, but his family was

Seventh-day Adventist. Although Felix was not active in the church, his child-

hood training was having a positive influence on us.

Felix sometimes told us stories from the Bible. I had never heard these sto-

ries and thought they were fairy tales. So, Felix brought me a Bible so I could

read the stories; then I found some prophecies. I didn’t understand them and

asked Felix what they meant. He said I wouldn’t understand unless I prayed

before reading. I laughed, but he insisted. I tried it, and it worked.

As I continued reading, I learned that our bodies are the temple of God and

that we should not defile them with unclean foods or impure habits. I told

Felix that I had decided to stop going to dances and parties and to stop smok-

ing, drinking, and even eating unclean foods. I thought he would be surprised,

but he agreed! He told me that I should go to the Seventh-day Adventist

Church. He even offered to go with me.

On Saturday morning, the phone rang. Felix had decided to go to work

instead of church, but he had been injured in a motorcycle accident. I hurried

to the hospital but learned that he had been transferred to another hospital. It

was almost 9:00. I prayed, Lord, what should I do? Should I go to the other

hospital or go to church? I felt impressed to go to church, and I’m glad I did.

I began attending church regularly. When Felix was released from the

hospital, he came to church with me once but never returned. He is still using

drugs, smoking, and disregarding God’s laws.

My younger brother saw the difference God was making in my life, and he

attended church with me. Then my other brothers and a sister began attending

church. Eventually we all were baptized. But my parents resisted.

The pastor asked me to lead a small group. I prayed and asked my parents if

I could hold the meetings in their home. They agreed to let me use their front

porch. When the group began singing, my mother stepped closer to the win-

dow. Soon she came out and sat down. The next evening my father joined us.

When evangelistic meetings began, my parents attended all the meetings

and decided to be baptized. Knowing how they felt when I began attending

church, I found it hard to realize that within four years my entire family had

become united in the Adventist Church. We are all actively involved in church

ministries today.

J C is a house painter by trade and serves his church as a lay pastor and

first elder in Morne-Pitault, Martinique.

The Perfecting of Our

Faith

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 1:2, 3; 1 Pet. 1:6, 7; Phil.

3:12–15; James 1:19–21; Luke 17:5, 6; Luke 12:16–21.

Memory Text:

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and per-

fecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of

God” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).

dentist explained why his crowns are always flawless. “Unlike

some dentists,” he said, “I never have a problem with the crowns

that come back from the lab. If I send them perfect work, they

send me perfect crowns.” This dentist doesn’t worry about the end

result. He focuses on his role in the initial stage of the process.

Likewise, as Christians, we need not get all worked up over whether

or not our characters will be good enough in the end. That is God’s

work. Our role is to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12) by

keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Such faith in Christ enables Him to work in us “both to will and to do

of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13) and to finish the good work He has

begun (Phil. 1:6). Without faith, it is possible to feel defeated, even

before we begin, because we focus on ourselves rather than on Him.

As Jesus says, “ ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him

whom He sent’ ” (John 6:29, NKJV). James, as we will see, helps us to

understand this important spiritual truth.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 11.

*October 4–10

Less o n

October 5

Faith Lasts

Read

James 1:2, 3; 1 Peter 1:6, 7; 4:12, 13. What is the common attitude

of both James and Peter in regard to trials? How are we supposed to

relate to this incredible biblical injunction?

________________________________________________________

No one likes suffering; we almost always avoid it if we can. The

Greek word used in verse 3 for the testing of our faith is dokimion. It

refers to the process of proving the genuineness of something. Peter

likens this testing or trying of our faith to the way fire purifies gold;

although such testing may not be pleasant, God expects a successful

outcome. Trials should not discourage us; for, if we remain faithful, we

will “come forth as gold” (Job 23:10; compare Prov. 17:3).

Thus, we are to rejoice when trials come, especially over our faith,

for Jesus says, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward

in heaven” (Matt. 5:12). Also, trials deepen our appreciation for what

Christ endured for us. As 1 Peter 4:13 points out, they enable us to

share in Christ’s sufferings.

In short, we need to look through and beyond each trial and visual-

ize the result God intends. That is where faith comes in. We need to

believe in a loving Father, rely on His wisdom, and act on the basis of

His Word. We can safely entrust our future to Him (see Rom. 8:28).

In fact, only through faith, through knowing for ourselves God’s love,

and living by faith in light of that love, could we ever possibly rejoice

in our trials.

In James 1:3, the ultimate goal of the testing of our faith is “patience”

(NKJV). The Greek word (hypomon

e) can also be translated “endur-

ance” (NASB) or “perseverance” (NIV). Hypomon

e refers to that which

outlasts everything else because it rests confidently in the assurance of

God’s final deliverance (as in Luke 21:19).

It’s one thing to stay faithful to God during trials; that is, to not

lose your faith but to cling to the Lord, even in the worst times.

But we are told to “rejoice” in our trials. Isn’t that asking too

much? After all, at times it can be hard enough just to stay faith-

ful in trials but to rejoice in them? Yet, that’s what we are told.

How, then, can we learn to rejoice, when rejoicing is the last thing

we feel like doing?

sunday

October 6

Perfection

Read James 1:2–4. Notice the progression: faith, testing, patience,

perfection. James begins with faith because that is the foundation of

all true Christian experience. He then says we need trials to test the

genuineness of our faith. Lastly, James states that trials can teach us

perseverance, so that eventually we will not be caught by surprise and

be overcome by them. God’s goal for us is that we “may be perfect and

complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4, NKJV). The language could not

be loftier. The word perfect (teleios) means spiritual maturity, while

complete (holokleros) refers to wholeness in every way. Truly, we can

become so much more in the Lord if we would die to self and allow

Him to work in us “to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

Read

Ephesians 4:13 and Philippians 3:12–15. What attitude toward

“perfection” are Christians encouraged to have?

________________________________________________________

Like Paul, followers of Christ will never be satisfied with anything

short of patterning their lives after the unselfish, sacrificial love of their

Master. But we will never feel as though we have “already attained” or

were “already perfected” (NJKV).

Notice, too, in the passages, the emphasis on the future. Paul is point-

ing toward what he has been promised in God through faith in Jesus.

There’s never a time in the Christian walk where we can say, “I have

arrived,” at least as far as character goes. (Have you ever noticed, too,

that those who say that they have “arrived” are generally obnoxious and

self-righteous?) We are like a work of art; we can always be improved

upon, and God promises to do just that as long as we press on in faith,

seeking to surrender to Him daily in trust and obedience.

If you died right now, would you be good enough to be saved? Or

if you had died two weeks after you had accepted Jesus, would

you have been good enough to be saved? Do you think in six

months you will be good enough? What does your answer tell you

about your need for the perfect robe of Christ’s righteousness,

regardless of whatever level of “perfection” you attain?

______________________________________________________

Monday

October 7

Asking in Faith

Read

James 1:5, 6. How is wisdom different from knowledge? What

connection does James make between wisdom and faith?

________________________________________________________

It may seem a bit odd that James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom.”

Who thinks he or she has enough wisdom to begin with? Solomon, for

instance, recognizing his need, humbly asked for “an understanding

heart to . . . discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9). Later, he

wrote: “the fear of the L is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10).

tend to think of wisdom as that which we know. How do the follow-

ing texts, however, show us what another side of true wisdom is?

James 1:19–21; 2:15, 16; 3:13.

________________________________________________________

Both Proverbs and James describe wisdom as something very practi-

cal: not what we know but how we live. For example, being “quick to

listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19, NIV). Plato said, “Wise men talk

because they have something to say; fools, because they would like

to say something.” In other words, we can have all the knowledge the

world offers but lack true wisdom.

Of course, because God is the Source of all true wisdom, we gain wis-

dom most by listening to Him—reading His Word and spending thoughtful

time contemplating the life of Christ, “who became for us wisdom from

God” (1 Cor. 1:30, NKJV). By learning to reflect the character of Christ in

our own lives, we live out the truth as it is in Jesus. That is true wisdom.

Read James 1:6 again. We must ask in faith, not doubting. Isn’t

that sometimes hard? Who doesn’t, at times, struggle with

doubt? When that happens, what’s crucial is to pray and to start

dwelling on all the reasons we have for faith: the story of Jesus,

the prophecies in the Bible, and our own personal experiences.

How could doing this help us work through whatever doubt

might occasionally arise?

Tues day

October 8

The Flip Side of Faith

Read

James 1:6–8. What is he saying to us here?

________________________________________________________

The word for “doubt” refers to one being inwardly divided; this

helps us to understand its connection to double-mindedness. We see

a clear example of this at Kadesh-Barnea. Israel faced a choice there:

move forward in faith or rebel against the Lord. Amazingly, they chose

rebellion and wanted to return to the bondage of Egypt. When God

intervened and announced through Moses that they would die in the

wilderness, suddenly the people “believed”! They said, “ ‘We will go

up to the place which the L has promised, for we have sinned’ ”

(Num. 14:40, NKJV).

“Now they seemed sincerely to repent of their sinful conduct; but

they sorrowed because of the result of their evil course rather than from

a sense of their ingratitude and disobedience. When they found that

the Lord did not relent in His decree, their self-will again arose, and

they declared that they would not return into the wilderness. In com-

manding them to retire from the land of their enemies, God tested their

apparent submission and proved that it was not real.”—Ellen G. White,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 391.

Read

Luke 17:5, 6. What is Jesus telling us here about faith?

________________________________________________________

When the disciples asked for more faith, Jesus said mustard seed-

sized faith was plenty. What counts is whether our faith is alive and

growing, and this can and will happen only as we continue to exercise

that faith by reaching out and trusting in God in all situations.

But doubt sometimes gets in the way. Our world bombards us with

doubt and skepticism; no one is immune. All we can do is pray our way

through it, remembering God’s faithfulness in the past and trusting Him

for our future.

What are all the reasons you have for trusting in God and His

promises and living by faith? Think through them, dwell on

them, and your faith will only increase.

Wedn e sday

The Rich and the Poor

In this short letter, James shows great concern for poor people; some

even consider it his major theme. But to modern ears, his diatribes

against the rich and in favor of the poor seem extreme, even shocking.

At the same time, however, James isn’t saying anything much different

from what Jesus has said.

Compare

James 1:9–11 with Luke 8:14; compare James 1:27 with

Matthew 25:37–40; compare James 2:15, 16 with Luke 10:29–37;

and compare James 5:1–4 with Luke 12:16–21. What’s the com-

mon message there to us? What warnings and admonitions can we

all take away from what’s so clearly expressed here?

________________________________________________________

James, of course, does not shut the doors of the kingdom on all rich

people. But, like Jesus, he recognizes the insidious temptations that

come with wealth. Rich or poor, we need to keep our eyes on the real

prize. The problem with money is that it tends to deceive us into focus-

ing on the temporal instead of the eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).

No question, the acquisition of wealth, higher education, or social

influence tends to separate people from the “less fortunate.” But the

early church kept the two classes together by turning worldly values

upside down. The one who takes the lowest place, the role of humility,

is the one who can glory in exaltation.

“As long as there are hungry ones in God’s world to be fed, naked

ones to be clothed, souls perishing for the bread and water of salvation,

every unnecessary indulgence, every overplus of capital, pleads for the

poor and the naked.”—Ellen G. White, Welfare Ministry, p. 269.

What about yourself? Whether rich or poor, it doesn’t matter;

what matters is how you relate to money. What is it about money

that makes it so potentially dangerous to our souls?

Thur s day

October 9

October 10

Further Study:

Ellen G. White, “The Sermon on the Mount,”

pp. 298–314, in The Desire of Ages.

“God would have his servants become acquainted with their own

hearts. In order to bring to them a true knowledge of their condition,

he permits the fire of affliction to assail them, so that they may be

purified. The trials of life are God’s workmen to remove the impurities,

infirmities, and roughness from our characters, and fit them for the

society of pure, heavenly angels in glory. Then as we pass through trial,

as the fire of affliction kindles upon us, shall we not keep our eyes fixed

upon the things that are unseen, on the eternal inheritance, the immortal

life, the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory? [A]nd while

we do this, the fire will not consume us, but only remove the dross,

and we shall come forth seven times purified, bearing the impress of

the Divine.”—Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald,

April 10, 1894.

Discussion Questions:

 What Bible characters do you find most encouraging in times

of suffering? Have you learned to find joy in trials? If so, share

with the class what has helped you do this. At the same time, if you

haven’t been able to rejoice in your sufferings, talk about that in

class, as well (if you feel comfortable doing it).

 Dwell more on this idea that true wisdom is not so much head

knowledge but what we do in faith through Christ. At the same

time, why does this not mean that head knowledge isn’t impor-

tant? How can having, for instance, wrong doctrine, be very detri-

mental to one’s walk with the Lord?

 A young man had a friend who went through severe trials.

Although the young man found the trials painful to watch, he did

notice that his friend was growing in grace. When the trials were

over, his friend really had changed—and for the better! What

things have you learned from your trials that have been spiritually

beneficial to you? Ask yourself, Could I have learned them any

other way?

 What can you say to someone who appears sincere in faith and

yet admits to being, at times, overcome with doubt? How can you

help?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Heidy’s Hope: Part 1

J C S

When 13-year-old Heidy Moreno and her cousin, Mirella, began question-

ing their mothers’ rules, Heidy’s mother decided to stop their rebelliousness

before it got out of hand. She took Heidy to a spirit medium—a witch.

The medium claimed that Heidy had a bad spirit. “I see a gold feather over

your head,” the medium told Heidy. “The spirit that possesses you is powerful.”

The medium performed a ritual to remove Heidy’s rebelliousness. Suddenly

Heidy felt as if her body was not hers. She became dizzy, then fainted.

Soon after Heidy and her mother returned home to their farm outside

Cali, Colombia, Heidy began acting strangely. She crawled on the floor like

a snake and spoke with strange voices. The voices promised great riches but

threatened the family members if they tried to stop Heidy’s strange behavior.

Sometimes family members felt an invisible hand slap them when they tried to

touch Heidy. The invisible hands began destroying the furniture and punching

holes in the walls.

The spirits came and went unexpectedly, leaving family members shaken

and afraid. The family did not want to anger the spirits, for they still hoped to

gain the riches that the spirits had promised.

Then one day the spirits spoke through Heidy’s cousin, Mirella. She

described the spirit that entered her as a strong man. No one else could see

them, but they often felt their evil presence. The spirits entered the girls’ bod-

ies and forced them to gorge themselves with food. Then after the spirits left,

the girls were hungry again.

After months of living in fear and confusion, Heidy’s family decided to

try to escape the spirits by moving to the city of Cali. But the spirits became

angry and beat Heidy and Mirella with whips and sticks until their bodies

were bloody and bruised. They gave the girls so much strength that four men

could not hold them. The frightened families decided they must get help to

free their daughters from these spirits.

Heidy’s mother took her to one church after another in hope of finding

release from the spirits. But the spirits remained as strong as ever. Then a

neighbor told her about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The spirits had

warned Heidy that something terrible would happen if she went to this church,

so Heidy resisted her family’s attempts to take her there. It took several strong

men to overpower the devil in Heidy and get her inside the church. Once

inside, Heidy suddenly felt at peace. God has set me free! she thought. That

day Heidy worshiped God with all her heart.

Heidy knew now that only God could free Mirella from the devil’s power. She

urged Mirella to go to the church and seek God. The spirits in Mirella threatened

her, but she agreed to go, hoping for deliverance from the spirits’ torment.

(continued)

H M lives in Cali, Colombia, where she was a student at the time of this

writing. J C S is a district pastor in Cali, Colombia.

Enduring Temptation

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 1:12–21, Ps. 119:11,

Gen. 3:1–6, Titus 3:5–7, Rom. 13:12, Eph. 4:22.

Memory Text:

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for

when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord

hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).

e all have experienced it. We resolve not to give in to temp-

tation, but in the heat of the battle, our resolve melts and—

much to our own sense of shame and self-loathing—we fall

into sin. Sometimes it seems that the more we focus on not sinning, the

more powerless against temptation we feel, and the more hopeless our

condition appears. We wonder if indeed we are saved at all. It’s hard

to imagine any serious Christian who hasn’t wondered about his or her

own salvation, especially after having just fallen into sin.

Fortunately, we can have victory over the temptations that so easily

ensnare us. None of us, no matter how enveloped in sin, is hopeless,

for our “Father of lights” (James 1:17) is greater than our propensity

to evil, and only in Him and through His Word can we have victory.

That’s the message from the verses we will study this week. Sure,

temptations are real, sin is real, and the battle against self is very real.

But God is real, too, and through Him we can more than overcome the

temptations that brew inside us, just waiting to take us down.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 18.

*October 11–17

Less o n

October 12

The Root of Temptation

Read

James 1:13, 14. Why is it important that God does not tempt

anyone? Where does temptation originate, and how can this knowl-

edge be helpful in our own struggle with sin?

________________________________________________________

James is emphatic. Not only is God not the author of evil, He is not

the source of temptation either. Evil itself is the source of temptation.

According to this passage, the problem lies within us, which is the main

reason it’s so hard to resist.

Thus, the battle against sin begins in the mind. As much as many

might not want to hear it, the truth is that we choose to sin. No one can

force us (Rom. 6:16–18). Sinful desires, inclinations, and propensities

do constantly capture our attention. By using common hunting and

fishing terms, James 1:14 describes these inward promptings. Our own

desires lure and entice us, and when we give in to them, they finally

hook and entrap us.

Read

Ephesians 6:17, Psalm 119:11, and Luke 4:8. What common

theme is seen in all, and how does that relate to the question of vic-

tory over temptation?

________________________________________________________

In the passages in James, he clearly separates temptation from sin.

Being tempted from within is not sin. Even Jesus was tempted. The

problem is not temptation itself but how we respond to it. Having a

sinful nature is not, in and of itself, sin; however, allowing that sinful

nature to control our thoughts and dictate our choices is. Thus, we have

the promises, found in God’s Word, that offer us the assurances of vic-

tory if we claim them for ourselves and cling to them in faith.

Dwell on the idea that sin is always our own choice. (After all, if

it weren’t our own choice, how could we be condemned for doing

it?) What things can we do on a daily, practical level that could

help to keep us from making the wrong choices?

______________________________________________________

sunday

October 13

When Lust Conceives

Read

James 1:13–15 again. When does temptation become sin?

________________________________________________________

Several Greek words are used in this passage to describe how sin

begins, and all of them are connected with giving birth. When a wrong

desire is nurtured, sin is “conceived,” like a baby in the womb. “Sin,

when it is completely grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15, author’s

literal translation).

The picture is paradoxical. The process that is supposed to give life

results only in death (compare Rom. 7:10–13). Sin, like cancer, takes

over and consumes its host. We all know this, for we have all been

ruined by sin. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them.

Read

Genesis 3:1–6. Eve’s experience vividly illustrates the conflict

with sin. What steps led her into sin?

________________________________________________________

At its root, sin begins with distrusting God. Satan, using the same

successful method by which he deceived a third of the angels (Rev.

12:4,7–9), raised doubts in Eve’s mind about God’s character (Gen.

3:1–5). Approaching the forbidden tree was not sin, but taking and

eating the fruit was. Even so, wrong thoughts seem to have preceded

her sinful act (Gen. 3:6). She adopted Satan’s suggestions as her own.

Sin always begins in the mind. Like Eve, we may think about the

supposed “benefits” of wrongdoing. Then our imagination and feelings

begin to take over. Soon we seize the bait and fall into sin.

Often we wonder how it could happen. The answer is easy: we let it

happen. Nobody forced us into sin.

“By earnest prayer and living faith we can resist the assaults of Satan,

and keep our hearts unspotted from pollution.

“The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin. However great the

pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It

is not in the power of earth or hell to compel any one to sin. The will

must consent, the heart must yield, or passion cannot overbear reason,

nor iniquity triumph over righteousness.”—Ellen G. White, “Christian

Privileges and Duties,” Signs of the Times

, October 4, 1883.

Monday

October 14

Every Good and Perfect Gift

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every per-

fect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James

1:16, 17).

Although sin gives birth to death, God is the Source of life. He is

the “Father of lights” (James 1:17), a reference to the Creation (Gen.

1:14–18). God gives us birth to a new life, which is the greatest gift we

can get “from above” (compare James 1:17 with John 3:3).

Like Paul, who speaks of salvation as the result of God’s grace (Rom.

3:23, 24; Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9), James 1:17 calls salvation a “gift.”

More so, in the next verse, James makes it clear that salvation, this new

birth, is the result of God’s purpose and will for us: “In fulfillment of

his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth” (James 1:18,

NRSV). That is, God wants us to be saved. It was His will, from even

before we existed, that we should have salvation and a new life in Him

now and for all eternity.

How

does James’s depiction compare with the description by Paul and

Peter of the new birth? See Titus 3:5–7, 1 Pet. 1:23.

________________________________________________________

Jesus, Paul, Peter, and James all connect salvation with the new birth.

God’s whole purpose in the plan of redemption is to reconnect sin-

battered and broken human beings with heaven. The rift was so big and

so wide that nothing humans could do could have ever bridged it. Only

God’s Word in human form, Jesus, could reconnect heaven to earth. The

inspired Word (2 Tim. 3:16) is uniquely able to breathe spiritual life into

those whose hearts are open to receive the gift.

In short, our “Father of lights” so loves us that, even as underserving

as we are, He gives us “every good gift and every perfect gift” (James

1:17, NKJV), the best of all gifts being Jesus and the new birth that He

offers.

What are the gifts you’ve been given “from above”? Why is it so

important to dwell on them? What happens when we don’t?

______________________________________________________

Tues day

October 15

Slow to Speak

Read

James 1:19, 20. What important point is he making there?

________________________________________________________

God’s Word is powerful. But so are human words. How often have

we spoken words that later we wish we could take back? Unfortunately,

just being aware of how hurtful wrong words can be, and how destruc-

tive anger is, does little to help us get ourselves under control. Left to

our own devices, we can never really change. That is why we need to

listen more to God and let Him work in us.

“When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before

Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He

bids us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ ”—Ellen G. White, The

Ministry of Healing, p. 58.

By contrast, problems arise when we stop listening to God and to

each other. Whether in the home, at work, or in the church, arguments

ensue when listening stops. When that happens, talking begins to

accelerate and anger builds. This slippery slope of sinful communica-

tion, like the uncontrolled inward desires of James 1:14, 15, can never

produce the righteousness of God.

That is why James juxtaposes God’s righteousness with human

wrath. As long as we rely on what bubbles up naturally from our sin-

ful nature, the creative power of God’s Word is blocked, and our own

unhelpful or even hurtful words arise instead. No wonder that right

after talking about all that our “Father of lights” does for us by the gift

of a new life, James tells us to be careful with what we say.

What

do the following passages teach about words? Prov. 15:1, Isa. 50:4,

Eph. 4:29, 5:4, Col. 4:6.

________________________________________________________

Think about the last time someone devastated you with his or her

words. The depth of emotion you felt should show you just how

powerful words can be, either for good or bad. What can you do

to help keep your words under control? Why is it so important to

think before you speak?

Wedn e sday

Saved by Receiving

Read

James 1:21. What role does the “word” have in what James is

saying?

________________________________________________________

This verse concludes all that has been said so far about faith and

salvation. It is an appeal to put away all impurity and separate ourselves

from wickedness. The command “put away” (RSV) is used seven out of

nine times in the New Testament for detaching oneself from the evil

habits that have no place in a life submitted to Christ (Rom. 13:12;

Eph. 4:22, 25; Col. 3:8; Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:1). It can also refer to the

taking off of clothing (Acts 7:58), so that the taking off of our “filthy

rags” of sin (compare Isa. 64:6) may also be implied. Indeed, the word

filthiness (RSV) occurs in James for the “filthy clothes” of the poor in

contrast to the sparkling clean clothing of the rich (James 2:2, NKJV).

Like Jesus, James decries the human tendency to be so concerned with

outward appearance, because God is concerned above all with the con-

dition of our hearts.

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word filthy (ryp-

aros) is used in only one passage: Zechariah 3:3, 4, where Joshua, the

high priest, represents sinful Israel. God takes away the high priest’s

filthy garments and clothes him with a clean robe, symbolizing Israel’s

forgiveness and cleansing.

This scene is very different from the popular Christian image we

sometimes see of Jesus putting a clean white robe over the sinner’s

dingy, soiled garments. Who would do this in real life? Nobody puts

clean clothes over dirty ones. Likewise in Zechariah, the filthy gar-

ments are removed before the clean robe is put on. This doesn’t mean

that we must be without sin before we can be clothed in Christ’s righ-

teousness. If that were true, who could be saved? It also doesn’t mean

that we cannot be saved or return to Jesus if we fall back into sin.

Instead, it means that we must completely surrender to Him, choosing

to die daily to our old sinful ways, and allow Him to create us into His

image. Christ’s perfect robe of righteousness will then cover us.

Read again James 1:21. How deeply are you seeking to apply

what it says here to your life? What does it mean to “engraft” the

Word into your heart, and how can you do it?

Thur s day

October 16

October 17

Further Study:

Read about sin and the power to change in Ellen G.

White, “Repentance,” Steps to Christ, pp. 23–36, and summarize the key

points.

“The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from

the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin.

He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision

that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep

him from sinning.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 311.

“If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget

yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His

goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls

upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the

lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of unselfish love

and labor for others—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces

of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your

convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you

will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.”

—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 67, 68.

Discussion Questions:

 Think more about the reality of the power of words. Why are

they so powerful? How can language be easily manipulated? How

often is how we say or write something just as important, or even

more important, than what we say or write?

 Of all the gifts that you have been given “from above,” which is

the greatest one, and why?

 Read over James 1:12–21. What is the essential message there?

What hope and promises are there for us?

 Lust brings forth sin, and sin brings forth death. Why, with

such high stakes before us, do we not have the victories that should

be ours? What are the ways in which we rationalize sin, and why

is that always a dangerous mind game to play?

 Read the last Ellen G. White statement found above. What

crucial counsel is found there, especially for those who might be

wavering in faith?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Heidy’s Hope: Part 2

J C S

The demons in Mirella struggled against the family members who took

her to the Seventh-day Adventist church. During the struggle Mirella

fainted. When the family tried to carry her limp body through the church

door, they could feel a powerful force pushing them away. Inside the church

the congregation prayed while deacons tried to pull the family into the

church. Finally, they managed to enter the church. They laid Mirella on the

floor in the pastor’s office.

The pastor told Mirella’s family, “I do not have any powers to fight against

the devil and his spirits. But I can call on the One who has defeated sin

and the devil, Christ Jesus our Lord.” He urged the family to confess their

sins and call on the power of God to overrule. Then the pastor knelt beside

Mirella’s still form and prayed. He invited the holy angels of heaven to join

in the battle for her soul. Then with a strong voice he commanded, “With the

angel host beside me, and with Christ already the victor, I command you,

Satan, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to get out of her!”

Mirella screamed loudly and began to speak, but the pastor repeated the

command, “In the name of the Lord, get out of her!” The girl became quiet

and lay on the floor, still unconscious. When Mirella opened her eyes, she

stood up and rushed into the arms of a family member, clinging to his neck

in fear. Heidy placed her hand on Mirella’s shoulder. “You are safe,” Heidy

said. “Christ has freed you from the claws of Satan!”

The girls rejoiced in their newfound peace and made preparations for bap-

tism. But the day before their baptism, Mirella began speaking in a strange

voice, saying, “I hate Pastor Juan! I hate him!” The evil spirit had returned

to try one last time to control Mirella. Someone asked the spirit why it hated

Pastor Juan, and the spirit answered, “Tomorrow he will force me to leave

this body, and I have no place to go!” With increasing anger, the spirit said,

“I will kill Heidy and Mirella before they are baptized!”

Then the spirit forced Mirella to grab a knife and try to cut her own

wrists. Several people wrestled the knife away from Mirella while the others

prayed. In the name of Jesus, the devil left her.

The next day at their baptism, Mirella testified that horrible monsters had

held her so tightly that she could not break free. But when the people prayed

in the name of Jesus, a stronger hand broke Satan’s grip and set her free. It

was the hand of Jesus, the only one more powerful than the demons.

“Never leave the safety of Jesus,” Heidy told the congregation. “Jesus is

the only One who can free you from the bonds of Satan.”

H M lives in Cali, Colombia, where she was a student at the time of this

writing. J C S is a district pastor in Cali, Colombia.

Being and Doing

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 1:23, 24; Matt. 19:16–

22; Luke 6:27–38; Rom. 8:2–4; 12:9–18; 2 Pet. 1:4.

Memory Text:

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves” (Jame s 1:22).

ean Francois Gravelet, better known as “The Great Blondin,”

became famous for walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. In

September of 1860, the Prince of Wales had witnessed Blondin’s

crossing of the falls with an assistant on his back. After the walk,

Blondin turned to the British prince and offered to carry him across

the falls too. Although the prince had heard of the man’s skills, and had

even just seen them in action, he was still not ready to place his life in

Blondin’s hands.

The point is, of course, that hearing and seeing are not enough when

it comes to a relationship with God. We may be intellectually convinced

about the existence of God, the truth of the gospel, and the Second

Coming. We may have even seen for ourselves the reality of God’s love

and care. Yet, even with all that, we may not really be ready to commit

ourselves fully into His hands, an action that would be revealed by our

works. This is precisely why James emphasizes the importance of being

doers, not just hearers, of the Word.

This week we’ll look at what being a doer of the Word means for

those saved by grace.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 25.

*October 18–24

Less o n

October 19

Knowing Your Enemy

Someone once said this about his enemy: “I see him every day—

when I’m shaving.” This is exactly what James wants us to recognize:

our greatest enemy is ourselves. Salvation begins by seeing who we

really are, not who we imagine ourselves to be.

Read

James 1:23, 24. Who is described here, and what is the basic

problem?

________________________________________________________

While there is nothing wrong with looking our best, many people

spend a great deal of time and money to improve their appearance. But

we need to make sure that we don’t deceive ourselves. James says we

need to get a better view of ourselves, no matter how much we might

not like what we see.

Read

Matthew 19:16–22 and 26:33–35, 69–75. How does the self-

image of each of these two men compare with the reality? What do

their two different reactions to Jesus’ words say about them?

________________________________________________________

The rich young man thought he had been keeping the commandments.

Suddenly he was challenged to adhere to a different kind of obedience,

one that he had never anticipated, one that went much deeper than mere

outward compliance to rules and regulations. (See Rom. 7:7.)

Peter, like this young man, also had a distorted picture of himself.

Self-confidently, he predicted that even if everyone else should stumble

and fall away, he would remain faithful—even if it cost him his life. But

neither realized how tightly sin held him in its grasp. Both were self-

deceived about their true spiritual state. Peter, however, eventually was

converted. As far as we know, the rich young ruler wasn’t.

It’s always so easy to see the faults in others but not in ourselves,

right? Deep down, though, we probably are more aware of our

faults than we want to admit. Look deep into your own soul.

What does this view tell you about why you must have a Savior?

______________________________________________________

sunday

October 20

Being a Doer

Read

James 1:22 again. The Greek says “to be” doers of the Word.

How might the message have been different had James simply said,

“Do the Word”?

________________________________________________________

James combines being and doing. He does not separate them, nor does

he make one more important than the other. They are like two sides of the

same coin, inseparable. We are to be doers. Furthermore, the tense of the

Greek word for be here refers to an ongoing lifestyle of obedience, one

that is expected of us now rather than at some indefinite time in the future.

The point is, we are to become new people in the Lord, and as a

result of what we become, we do the things that God commands us to.

This is something quite different from merely following rules (which

seems to have been the problem with the rich young ruler, as we saw in

yesterday’s daily study).

Read

Luke 6:27–38. What are some of the actions that we should be

taking?

________________________________________________________

“Love your enemies.” “Give to everyone who asks of you.” “Be merciful,

just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:27, 30, 36, NKJV). Sounds

impossible, doesn’t it? And it is, on our own. Love like this does not come

naturally to sinful human beings. That is why Jesus goes on to talk about

two different kinds of trees and the fruit each produces (Luke 6:43–45).

Similarly, in Galatians 5 Paul contrasts the works of the flesh (Gal.

5:19–21) with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). It is almost as if the

more we focus on doing, the worse we become; whereas, when we are

being led by the Spirit, it yields a totally different outcome—the fruit

of love and obedience.

Think about a time you did something simply because it was

required of you or because it was a rule you had to obey. Contrast

that to the time you did something similar because it was some-

thing you wanted to do, something that flowed naturally out of

you because of Christ living in you. How does this contrast help

us to understand the point of today’s study?

Monday

October 21

The Law of Freedom

Read

James 1:25. What does he say about the role of the law?

________________________________________________________

James echoes the Psalms in calling God’s law “perfect” (Ps. 19:7)

and a way of freedom (Ps. 119:45). But notice that the law in James

cannot save us and certainly cannot cleanse us. It shows us God’s ideal,

but it cannot make us follow that ideal any more than seeing a world-

class athlete perform amazing feats could enable us to do the same. To

follow that ideal, we need the power of Christ in our lives.

Read

Romans 8:2, 4 and 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18. What makes the dif-

ference between the law as an instrument of death or as something

that shows the way to freedom and life?

________________________________________________________

Even Paul affirms that “not the hearers of the law are just in the sight

of God, but the doers of the law will be justified” (Rom. 2:13, NKJV).

As he says, we can become doers only through the work of the Spirit

writing the law on our hearts. Only when we obey it from the heart can

the law be a law of freedom.

Thus, the problem is not with the law but with us. We forget who we

really are: sinners in constant need of a Savior. Outside of Christ, we

hear only the law’s condemnation. But in Christ, we become new men

and women (2 Cor. 5:17) who are set free in Jesus (John 8:36). We hear

Him speaking the law to us, that we should “ ‘love one another, as I

have loved you’ ” (John 15:12, NKJV). Through Christ, we experience

the freedom of God’s sons and daughters who are saved by grace and

who will not want to slip back into the condemnation and bondage we

had as transgressors. In Christ, not only are we forgiven our sins, we

now have a new life, one in which we are able to render obedience to

the law. We do so, however, not in order to be saved but out of the free-

dom that comes from knowing that we already are saved and, therefore,

no longer stand condemned by the law.

Think about what it would be like, having the natures we do, to try

to keep the law well enough to be saved by it. How would this make

the law a means of bondage? How has Jesus freed us from that

bondage while, at the same time, commanding us to keep the law?

Tues day

October 22

Useful or Useless?

Read

James 1:26, 27 and compare it to Matthew 25:35, 36, 40 and

Romans 12:9–18. In light of these passages, how would you define

true Christianity?

________________________________________________________

If Jesus, James, and Paul emphasize anything, it is the importance of

being a useful Christian. By loving “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40),

by taking the time to visit those most easily overlooked, by showing

hospitality—in all these practical ways and more—we reveal Jesus’

love and become the channel by which Jesus loves through us.

“The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lov-

able Christian.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 470. Of

course, as she goes on to explain, “to live such a life, to exert such an

influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice, discipline.”—The

Ministry of Healing, p. 470. It does not come naturally or automatically.

If our religion consists only in affirmations of belief and listening to

sermons, it is largely useless.

James describes “religion” or “religious” in verses 26, 27 with a word

that suggests being unusually devout. Such an attitude has immediate,

visible consequences, and people will notice the difference.

One obvious change will be our choice of words. Instead of using

uninhibited remarks and harsh tones and gestures, we will become

more sensitive to the effect our communication exerts on others. We

will “bridle” our tongue so that it does not dash off ahead of us with all

the violence and energy of an untamed horse.

James also singles out orphans and widows as those most needing our

love and care. From a worldly standpoint, it does not make sense to focus

our resources on those who can give nothing back to society. But from

God’s viewpoint, it is precisely how we treat those who have been cast off

and rejected by the world that reveals which of us are Christ’s true follow-

ers: either by lending money to those who cannot pay us back; inviting

to dinner those who cannot reciprocate; or blessing and praying for those

who mistreat us (Luke 6:35, 14:12–14, Matt. 5:44). As Paul points out,

we are re-created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2:10).

How much of your own time and energy do you spend helping

those in need? What does your answer say to you about how “use-

ful” your faith really is?

Wedn e sday

Unlike the World

What

does it mean to keep oneself “unspotted from the world”? James

1:27, NKJV. How could that even be possible? See also 1 John 2:15,

16; 2 Pet. 1:4.

________________________________________________________

Some people seem to think that if only they could move far enough

away from the world, they could avoid most of its temptations. Though

there’s some truth to that, and we should try to avoid temptation as

much as possible (especially those temptations we find hardest to

resist), our problems and weaknesses do tend to follow us wherever we

go. The problem with sin isn’t so much what is out there, though that

certainly plays a role, as much as it is what’s in us, and in our hearts.

That’s where the true battle is, and we will have to fight that battle no

matter where we live.

It is also an interesting phenomenon that solving some problems

makes those that remain seem more obvious. For example, cleaning one

area of a room makes any dirt nearby stand out even more. So also with

the spiritual life: “the closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you

will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your

imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect

nature.”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 64.

Let’s not have Ellen G. White say here what she isn’t saying. She isn’t

saying that the closer we get to Jesus the faultier we actually become.

She continues: “The more our sense of need drives us to Him and to

the word of God, the more exalted views we shall have of His character,

and the more fully we shall reflect His image.”—Steps to Christ, p. 65.

Real religion leads a person to “hunger and thirst” for a deeper expe-

rience (Matt. 5:6). Jesus spent adequate time alone with His heavenly

Father in order to know His will. Yet, He never shut Himself off from

people. He went to where the people were. His “food” was reaching out

to the needy, breaking down barriers of prejudice, and sharing the good

news of eternal life (John 4:28–35).

Despite the fact that Jesus and the earliest Christians had a diet and

lifestyle quite different from the Gentile world around them, these

practices never kept them from sharing their faith. They went every-

where, and the gospel spread throughout the empire and became firmly

planted, even in such centers of corruption and wickedness as Rome.

Thur s day

October 23

October 24

Further Study:

Ellen G. White, “The Test of Discipleship,” pp. 59–63,

in Steps to Christ.

“The law is God’s great moral looking glass. Man is to compare his

words, his spirit, his actions with the Word of God.”—Ellen G. White

Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 935.

“Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only,

that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to

render obedience.

“As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be.

In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the

Saviour lived.”—Ellen G. White, Our Father Cares, p. 69.

Discussion Questions:

 Though we have been told it would be to our advantage to move

away (if possible) from worldly places, why is that not the ultimate

answer to the problems of sin and temptation? How far would

we have to go in order to be away from any kind of temptation at

all? What is the only answer for sin and temptation, regardless of

where we live?

 Police were trying to place electronic eavesdropping devices in

an office where they suspected criminals were working. The only

problem: vicious Dobermans surrounded the compound. So, the

police, each night, would feed the dogs hamburgers. At first they

would toss about five or six between the bars. Before long, the dogs

were not only eating the burgers out of the officers’ hands, but

they were licking the officers’ hands when done. Thus, with the

guard dogs tamed, the police were able to infiltrate and plant the

devices. What lesson can we take from this story about how we, if

we are not careful, can let our own guards down?

 Think more about this idea of being a doer of the Word as

opposed to just believing the Word. What is, in the end, the real

difference between the two?

 What do you say to those who claim that because of the grace

of Christ, they are free from the law? What do they often really

mean by that, and how would you answer them?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Angels on Main Street: Part 1

I S

Medellín is a large city in the heart of Colombia. While the city has a repu-

tation as the drug capital of the world, it is also known for its beauty, and its

citizens are known for their hard work and love of learning.

Colombia Adventist University (Corporacion Universitaria Adventista,

UNAC) is located in Medellín. Founded in 1937 as Industrial College

Coloveno, it became Colombo-Venezuelan Institute in 1950 and Colombia

Adventist University in 1981. UNAC offers undergraduate through doctoral

level degrees.

For many years UNAC students have worked in the neighborhoods of

Medellín searching for people who want to learn about God. One neighbor-

hood, known for its violence and poverty, was an especially difficult area, but

after knocking on many doors, the young people found several residents who

wanted to study the Bible. They arranged to hold meetings in the home of a

church member who lived in the area.

Each Sabbath the students met with the people and studied the Bible together.

Within a few months several people in the Bible study group requested bap-

tism. What joy the young people felt as they saw the fruits of their labors.

Often, after attending the evening meetings, the students had to walk several

blocks to catch a bus back to school. If it was late, the students had to walk all

the way back to school. The streets, which seemed safe during daylight hours,

were full of dangers at night.

One night Mery and Rocio came to the evening worship service. After the

meeting they found that they did not have a ride back to the school. They would

have to walk several blocks through the dangerous, poorly lit streets. Some

people from the church offered to walk with them partway, and the girls grate-

fully accepted their offer.

As the group walked along, they passed open doors of dimly lit taverns. In the

smoky light that filtered out, they could see unshaven men drinking and playing

tavern games. Their coarse language and crude laughter sent chills down Rocio’s

spine. She shivered as she recalled reports of girls her age who had been attacked

or murdered in dark alleys such as those she and her friends were passing.

The little group walked faster, hoping to escape the sounds and smells of this

part of town, hardly speaking as they walked quickly through the dim light. They

passed men and women standing in the shadows of tall buildings. Sometimes the

only hint that a person was there was the smell of a cigarette or alcohol.

Soon they reached the street where their companions lived. Rocio and Mery

thanked them for walking with them. The girls tried to smile, hoping that their

fear would not show. Then they turned and quickly continued their journey.

(continued)

I S is a pastor in Apartadó, Colombia.

Love and the Law

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 2:1–13; Mark 2:16;

Lev. 19:17, 18; Rom. 13:8–10; John 12:48.

Memory Text:

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown

no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13, NASB).

e know the story well; the question is, How well has it sunk in?

First a priest, then a Levite, going from Jerusalem to

Jericho, encountered a man lying half dead in the road.

Though both just finished their religious duties, neither was, apparently,

able to link those duties with any sense of obligation to the injured soul,

and so each kept walking. Finally, a Samaritan, a half-pagan, happened

by, took pity on the man, bandaged his wounds, and paid for his stay at

an inn where he could recover. He also promised to pay the innkeeper

for anything else the man might need (see Luke 10:30–37).

Jesus told that story in response to a question by a lawyer about

eternal life. Rather than tell the lawyer, “Try harder!” or “Do more!”

Jesus painted a picture of love in action. That is, we are to love even in

potentially dangerous or unpleasant circumstances, and we are to love

even those we don’t like.

Though it’s not easy, and often goes against our nature, true love

involves a substantial amount of risk and calls us to tear down barriers

that separate us as people, both outside and (especially) inside the church.

This week we’ll see what James has to say about this crucial truth.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 1.

*October 25–31

Less o n

October 26

The Man in Gold

Read James 2:1–4. It is, among other things, a study in contrasts.

One person is rich, well dressed, and, apparently, important, while the

other is poor, shabbily dressed, and, apparently, a nobody. One receives

the utmost courtesy, the other disdain. One is offered a comfortable,

prominent seat; the other is told to stand off to the side or find a place

on the floor.

The description is not a very pretty one, especially because it is

depicted (potentially, at least) as happening in a worship service!

The Greek word for “gathering” or “assembly” in verse 2 is synag

probably an early reference to a Jewish-Christian Sabbath service,

many of which would have taken place in private homes (see Acts

18:7, 8).

In the Greco-Roman culture of the first century, one’s public image

and position were all important. Those with wealth, education, or

political influence were expected to use these assets to enhance their

reputation and benefit their personal interests. Any large gift to pub-

lic or religious projects obligated the receiver to reciprocate to the

giver in some way. Kindness was repaid with loyalty and generosity

with public appreciation. The few upper-class people who attended

Christian services expected privileged treatment. To ignore these

expectations would have brought disgrace on the church. A failure

to be “politically correct” or to reject societal values was a recipe for

offense and a cause for division.

Read

Mark 2:16 and Luke 11:43. What societal expectations are

involved? How do they conflict with the principles of the gospel?

________________________________________________________

It is not a sin to be poor or rich, but one barometer of our Christian

experience is how we treat people who are different from us in age,

wealth, education, and even religious convictions. We tend to give

more respect to those we perceive as “above” us on the social ladder

and less respect to those “below.” We must remember that it is easy to

get pulled into convention even though God calls us to be different (see

Rom. 12:2).

Let’s face it: we might not be as open and as crass about it as

James depicted, but are we not all easily susceptible to playing

favorites? How can we learn to recognize this problem in our-

selves and, ultimately, deal with it?

sunday

October 27

Class Struggle

As every literature evangelist knows, very often those who have the

least are willing to sacrifice the most to buy Christian books. Well-to-do

neighborhoods tend to be tough territory to sell books in, because the

people who live there may be content with what they have and so very

often do not feel their need of God as much as those who have less. The

same phenomenon is also detectable on a much larger scale: the church

often has grown the fastest in places and periods of economic and social

stress. After all, aren’t even those individuals who are struggling with big

issues often more open to the hope presented in the story of Jesus than

are those who think that things are going great for them?

Read

James 2:5, 6. How does James expand here on what he wrote in

the four previous verses?

________________________________________________________

Judging from this passage, it would seem that there were major issues

in the church among the rich and the poor. God chose the poor who,

though rejected by the world, were “rich in faith,” while the rich used

their wealth to “oppress” the poor. This problem, that of the rich exploit-

ing the poor, was an ever-present reality at that time. Even worse, Roman

law codified discrimination against the poor and in favor of the rich.

“Persons of lower class, who were thought to act from economic self-

interest, could not bring accusations against persons of higher class, and

the laws prescribed harsher penalties for lower-class persons convicted

of offenses than for offenders from the higher class.”—Craig S. Keener,

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers

Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 694.

Read

James 2:7. What important point does James make here about

the impact of this bad behavior?

________________________________________________________

Their bad behavior is really blasphemy against “the good name” of

Jesus. Bad actions are bad enough in and of themselves; what makes

them worse is when those who profess the name of Jesus do them. And

even worse would be those who, in the name of Jesus, use their wealth or

power to gain advantage over others in the churches, which often leads to

divisions and quarrels. Hence, how careful we should be that our words

and actions match the “good name” we associate ourselves with.

Monday

October 28

Loving Our Neighbors

Read

James 2:8, 9, along with Leviticus 19:17, 18 and Matthew 5:43–

45. What crucial message are we being given here?

________________________________________________________

James calls God’s law “the royal law” (James 2:8) because it is the

law of the “KING OF KINGS” (Rev. 19:16). The law of His kingdom

is given in detail in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), which

includes the first of nine references in the New Testament to loving our

neighbor.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43 suggest the way Leviticus 19:18 was

understood at the time. For example, the immediately preceding com-

mands in Leviticus use apparent synonyms for one’s neighbor: they

prohibit hating one’s “brother” (Lev. 19:17) and holding a grudge

against one’s fellow Israelite (Lev. 19:18).

Most likely, some interpreted these commands to mean it would be

fine to be angry with or hate someone who was not an Israelite, because

he or she is not specifically mentioned in these Levitical texts. After

all, people who were not Israelites were also generally considered to

be enemies. We now know that such an attitude existed in the Qumran

community, a group of devout Jews who had separated themselves

from the rest of the nation. They were taught to hate “the children of

darkness” and “the men of perdition” (The Community Rule 1QS 1:10;

9:21, 22), labels which apparently included not only foreigners but

even Israelites who had rejected the community’s teachings.

“Sin is the greatest of all evils, and it is ours to pity and help the sin-

ner. There are many who err, and who feel their shame and their folly.

They are hungry for words of encouragement. They look upon their

mistakes and errors, until they are driven almost to desperation. These

souls we are not to neglect. If we are Christians, we shall not pass by on

the other side, keeping as far as possible from the very ones who most

need our help. When we see human beings in distress, whether through

affliction or through sin, we shall never say, This does not concern

me.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 504.

Jesus’ life is the greatest example we’ll ever have of selfless love

for the undeserving and those who didn’t love back. How can we

learn to express such love for those whom we deem undeserving

or who don’t love us back? Why, in the end, is complete self-

surrender and death to self the only answer?

______________________________________________________

Tues day

October 29

The Whole Law

Read

James 2:10, 11. Now read the passages listed in the table below

and classify them as either emphasizing the “whole law,” the “law

of love,” or both.

Whole Law Law of Love

Matt. 5:18, 19

Matt. 22:36–40

Rom. 13:8–10

Gal. 3:10

Gal. 5:3

Gal. 5:14

It is hard for us to grasp how radical Jesus’ teaching on the law was.

For devout Jews then (and for many today), one cannot really claim to

keep the law without a commitment to keeping all the laws found in

the books of Moses. Eventually, 613 separate laws were identified (248

positive laws and 365 negative ones).

The question put to Jesus about which law was most important (Matt.

22:36) was probably meant to trap Him. But although Jesus seems to

have affirmed every “jot” (the smallest Hebrew letter, Matt. 5:18) as

important, He also taught that love to God and love to our neighbor were

the most important commandments because they sum up all the others.

Jesus’ teaching also shows that obedience cannot be done in a

vacuum. It is always relational, or it is meaningless. In other words, if I

tithe because I am afraid of being lost if I don’t, it is not relational. On

the other hand, if I tithe out of gratitude for how much God has given

me, then my actions are based on my relationship with God.

Jesus also spoke about the “weightier matters” of the law as being

“judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matt. 23:23). All of these revolve

around relationships too—with God and with other people. James is,

therefore, not saying anything different than did Jesus or Paul: any

transgression of God’s law damages to some extent our relationship

to God and to others. So, it is not a question of having enough good

deeds to outweigh our bad deeds. That is obedience in a vacuum,

acting as if it all revolves around us. Instead, by knowing Jesus, we

begin to direct our attention away from ourselves and toward devotion

to God and service to others.

How much of your obedience comes from your love for God and

others and how much from a sense of obligation? Is working from

obligation always wrong though? Perhaps you don’t feel love for

a person but help him or her only because you know you are sup-

posed to. What, if anything, is wrong with that?

Wedn e sday

Judged by the Law

Read

James 2:12, 13. See also John 12:48; Rom. 2:12, 13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev.

20:12, 13. What do these verses teach about judgment?

________________________________________________________

Nothing is clearer than the teaching that we will be judged by the

law based on what we have done, whether for good or for evil. At the

same time, too, the Bible is also clear that through faith in Jesus, we are

covered by His righteousness.

This covering entails two aspects: forgiveness (justification) and obe-

dience (sanctification). “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus

the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col. 2:6, NKJV); and “For as many of you

as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27, NKJV).

It is often said that we will be judged based not only on what we have

done but also on what we have not done. While this is true, many have

a wrong idea of what this means. It is not about doing more things.

That is a recipe for discouragement and self-defeat. Notice how James

describes it in the first half of verse 13: “judgment is without mercy

to the one who has shown no mercy” (NKJV). Again, it is a relational

definition of “doing.”

If we thought about it long enough, we could become so paranoid

about the judgment that we would give up in despair. But that is not

what it means to “fear God... for the hour of His judgment has come”

(Rev. 14:7, NKJV)! Instead, we must always trust in the righteousness

of Jesus, whose merits alone are our only hope in the judgment. It’s our

love for God, who has saved us by His righteousness, that should spur

us on to do all the things that He has called us to do.

At the same time, the warnings in the Bible about the judgment are

there for our good, so that we do not lull ourselves into a false sense

of security. James says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13,

NKJV). We must remember his words, especially when we deal with

those who have fallen into the worst of sins.

Have you ever messed up really bad, and when you expected only

condemnation and judgment, you were given mercy, grace, and

forgiveness instead? How did you feel? How can you make sure

that you don’t forget that the next time someone else messes up

bad?

Thur s day

October 30

October 31

Further Study:

Ellen G. White, “Facing Life’s Record,” The Great Con-

troversy, pp. 479–491.

“God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child;

pray that you may do no dishonor to the ‘worthy name by which ye

are called.’ James 2:7. God sends you into the world as His repre-

sentative. In every act of life you are to make manifest the name of

God. . . . This you can do only through the acceptance of the grace

and righteousness of Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the

Mount of Blessing, p. 107.

“Through Christ, Justice is enabled to forgive without sacrificing one

jot of its exalted holiness.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible

Commentary, vol. 7, p. 936.

Discussion Questions:

 Gandhi summed up the thinking of many when he said, “I

like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians

are so unlike your Christ.” Why, unfortunately, is it not hard to

understand why he said that? And though, of course, it’s so easy

to look at what others have done in the name of Christ, why must

we instead look at ourselves and at what we have done in the name

of Jesus? How well do we reveal Him to the world around us?

 Is your local church a place where people feel valued and

respected regardless of their background, social standing, idiosyn-

crasies, and so on? If not, what can you do to make a difference?

 What are some of the traditions and social norms in your coun-

try that are contrary to the principles of the biblical faith? What

are some overt ones, and what are some of the more subtle ones?

After identifying what they are, how can you learn to transcend

them so that you are able to live out and reveal the principles of

the gospel in a way that could show others that Jesus offers us all

a better way of life?

 It’s one thing to love your neighbor, but what does it mean to

love God? In class, discuss what it means to love God, why we love

Him, and how we express that love.

 “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” What does that mean on a

practical level, such as when we have to deal with those who do

wrong? What kind of balance is needed there?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Angels on Main Street: Part 2

I S

As the girls hurried on through the night, they passed three young men.

They didn’t look up when the boys pointed fingers at them and made crude

remarks but kept walking as quickly as they could. Then they became aware

that someone was following them. It must be one of the three boys, Rocio

thought. The girls did not look back but kept walking toward their destination.

Rocio squeezed Mery’s hand and whispered a prayer, “Dear God, please help

us!”

Suddenly the girls heard a noise. Was it a shout? A cry of surprise? Out of

the corner of her eye, Rocio could see that the boys who had been following

them had turned and were running the other way. They seemed to be fleeing

something—or someone—as if they were being chased.

The girls hurried on their way, stopping for nothing until they had reached

the safety of the university. Again they thanked God for guiding them safely

back home.

The next morning Rocio dressed and hurried to the bus stop to wait for

the bus that would take her to work. As she stood waiting, she overheard a

conversation between two young men. “Last night we tried to take two girls

that we saw walking alone. We followed them for a little ways, looking for

the best chance to grab them. Then suddenly we saw two men walking with

them. I don’t know where they came from, but they were strong and looked

threatening. They frightened us, so we ran the other way!”

As Rocio listened to the boy’s conversation, she felt as if she had touched

electricity! Two strong men? I saw no men, only the troublemakers. When the

boys had stopped talking, she turned and looked into the eyes of the boy who

had told his friend what had happened the night before. “Do you know who I

am?” she asked. The boy shook his head no. “Those two young girls you are

talking about are my sister and me. We were coming home from church when

you began to follow us. But we believe in Jesus, and we asked Him to take

care of us. Those two men you saw with us last night were God’s holy angels.”

The boys stood speechless as they listened to this girl talk openly about

God. “If you like, I can help you get to know God. I invite you to visit my

church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” The Holy Spirit moved the heart

of that young person, and the next Sabbath he visited the church. He continued

attending the little church in the ghetto and soon began Bible studies. In time,

he was baptized.

That little neighborhood church has grown rapidly, and today a large con-

gregation meets to worship the all-powerful God of heaven. And the young

people of Medellín continue to visit neighborhoods in search of those honest-

hearted people who are seeking God.

I S is a pastor in Apartadó, Colombia.

Faith That Works

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 2:14–26; Rom. 3:27, 28;

Titus 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:2; Rom. 4:1–5; Josh. 2:1–21.

Memory Text:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith

without works is dead also” (James 2:26, NKJV).

e was a successful doctor and an elder in a high-profile

church of several hundred members. He was a major giver

to the church’s big projects, and his generosity encouraged

others to be more sacrificial. The doctor was also a great preacher.

When the pastor was gone, he spoke, and everyone looked forward

to his messages, which were theologically deep, heartfelt, and spiri-

tual.

Then one day the truth came out. The doctor’s absence at church

the previous Sabbath had not been because he was on vacation, as

many had thought. No, he was found dead in his beachfront condo

from an overdose of recreational narcotics.

Worse was the shocking revelation that in his bedroom were doz-

ens of pornographic videos and magazines. The church was devas-

tated, especially the young people, who had looked up to him as a

role model. Though we must leave all judgment in God’s hands, the

doctor’s actions certainly call into question the reality of his faith.

The point? Though we are saved by faith, we cannot separate faith

and works in the life of a Christian, a crucial but often misunder-

stood truth expounded upon in the book of James.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 8.

*November 1–7

Less o n

November 2

Dead Faith

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith

but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14, NKJV).

How do we understand this verse in the context of salvation by faith

alone? Read James 2:15–17; compare Rom. 3:27, 28; Eph. 2:8, 9.

________________________________________________________

Faith without works. James 2:15, 16 gives a vivid illustration of this

kind of phony faith. As we have already seen, obedience in the book

of James is relational. So, how do we relate to a brother or sister in the

church who is in need? Words are not enough. We cannot simply say,

“Go in peace. God will provide,” when God has provided us the means

to help that brother or sister.

Of course, needs can be endless, and we cannot meet them all. But

there is a principle called “the power of one.” We are the hands and

feet of Jesus, and we can help others one person at a time. In fact, that

is how Jesus usually worked. In Mark 5:22–34, a man whose daughter

was dying appealed to Him for help. On the way, a woman approached

from behind and touched Jesus’ garment. After the healing, Jesus could

have gone on and the woman would have left rejoicing. But Jesus knew

that she needed more than physical healing. So, He stopped and took

the time so that she could learn to be a witness for Jesus, to share as

well as to receive. Then He said the same words we have in James 2:16,

NIV: “Go in peace” (Mark 5:34, NIV). But, unlike the words in James,

in this case, they actually meant something!

When we recognize a need but do nothing about it, we have missed

an opportunity of exercising faith. By doing so, our faith gets a little

weaker and a little deader. This is because faith without works dies.

James describes it even more starkly: faith is dead already. If it were

alive, the works would be there. If they are not, what good is it? At the

end of verse 14, James asks a question about this kind of workless and

worthless faith. It comes across far more strongly in Greek than it does

in most translations: “That faith cannot save him, can it?” The answer

James expects us to give is clearly “No.”

How can we learn to better express our faith through our works

while protecting ourselves from the deception that our works

save us?

sunday

November 3

Saving Faith

Read

James 2:18. What is the main point James is making? How do

we show our faith by our works?

________________________________________________________

James uses a common rhetorical technique whereby a potential

objector comes forward. In this case, the objector tries to drive a wedge

between faith and works by suggesting that as long as a person has one

or the other, he or she is fine. But the whole point James is trying to

make is that Christians cannot hope to be saved by faith if there are no

corresponding works: “Show me your faith without your works, and I

will show you my faith by my works” (vs. 18, NKJV).

The key point is that not just any faith will save. Genuine faith, sav-

ing faith, is characterized by good works. Likewise, works are only

good works if they spring from faith. Faith and works are inseparable.

Like two sides of a coin, one cannot exist without the other. Also like

a coin, one side is the head and the other the tail. Faith comes first and

then leads the way to corresponding works.

Consider

Paul’s attitude toward works in Ephesians 2:10, 1 Thes-

salonians 1:3, 1 Timothy 5:25, and Titus 2:14. Why are good works so

important?

________________________________________________________

Paul was not against good works per se. He was against works as a

means of salvation (see Gal. 2:16). In fact, Paul said that those who

rely on works of the law to be saved are under a curse, because no one

who tries to be saved by keeping the law actually succeeds in keeping

it (Gal. 3:10). Obedience is possible only through the gift of the Holy

Spirit.

“If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then

it must be wholly of grace, received by man as a sinner because he

receives and believes in Jesus. It is wholly a free gift. Justification by

faith is placed beyond controversy. And all this controversy is ended, as

soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good

works can never procure eternal life for him.”—Ellen G. White, Faith

and Works, p. 20.

Why should the great news that we cannot work our way to

heaven motivate us, out of a love for God, to do all the good works

that we can?

Monday

November 4

The “Faith” of Demons

If works are absent, there is only one other way to “prove” the genu-

ineness of one’s faith: by orthodoxy. If I believe the right things, then I

must have faith, right?

Read

2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:4; James 5:19, 20; 1 Peter 1:22;

and 1 John 3:18, 19. What do these verses tell us about how impor-

tant knowing truth is?

________________________________________________________

There is no question that an intellectual knowledge of truth has its

place, a very important place. Yet, that knowledge, in and of itself, is

not sufficient to prove that a person has saving faith.

What

warning is given to us in James 2:19 about a false concept of

what true faith is?

________________________________________________________

The most fundamental statement of faith in the Old Testament is

Deuteronomy 6:4: “‘Hear, O Israel! The L is our God, the L is

one!’” (NASB). Known as the Shema (because this is the Hebrew word

it begins with), this verse neatly summarizes belief in one God. Every

other biblical teaching flows from this cardinal truth.

But even the demons believe this truth. In fact, they know it! And yet,

what good does it do them? They tremble in God’s presence, as they did

also when confronted by Jesus and commanded by Him to come out of

their victims (Mark 3:11, 5:7).

An intellectual faith that has no effect on how we act is useless; in

fact, it is the same faith that demons have, demons who are actively at

work to deceive us with false doctrines and lies. As with Israel at the

time of Jesus, demons will encourage people to believe their deceptions

based on their victims’ desires to hold on to impure and unrighteous

behavior: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times

some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and

doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1).

Faith must be manifested in our lives or else it is not saving faith; it

is, instead, “the faith of demons,” and such a faith won’t save us any

more than it will save them.

Tues day

November 5

Abraham’s Faith

Read

James 2:21–24 and compare it with Romans 4:1–5, 22–24. How

is the faith of Abraham described in these texts, and on what is

justification based?

________________________________________________________

Interestingly, both James and Paul quote Genesis 15:6, but they seem

to arrive at opposite conclusions. According to James, Abraham was

justified by works, but Paul seems, in Romans 4:2, to deny this pos-

sibility explicitly (compare vs. 24).

However, the immediate context of Romans 4 has to do with whether

circumcision is necessary for justification; that is, whether Gentiles had

to become Jews in order to be saved (Rom. 3:28–30). Paul shows that

Abraham’s faith, not his “work” of being circumcised, was the basis of

justification, because Abraham believed even before he was circum-

cised. Abraham was circumcised later as an outward sign of his inward

faith (Rom. 4:9–11). But works alone, even circumcision, are not suffi-

cient for justification, because only those “who also walk in the steps of

that faith [of] our father Abraham” (Rom. 4:12, NKJV) will be justified.

Is this emphasis really so different from that of James? Paul even

goes on to use the same “proof ” of Abraham’s faith that James does (see

Rom. 4:17–21). Abraham believed God could resurrect Isaac because

He “gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist”

(vs. 17, NASB; compare Heb. 11:17–19). Paul also defines saving faith

as “being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to

perform” (Rom. 4:21, NKJV). In short, faith that trusts God to keep His

promises and obediently relies on His word is saving faith. These works

are not “works of law” but “works of faith.” Or, as James puts it: “Do you

see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith

was made perfect?” (2:22, NKJV; emphasis added).

Many stress the importance of faith and works, but even this separates

the two, at least to some extent. True faith is “faith working through

love” (Gal. 5:6, NKJV). Good works are not just the outward sign of

faith; they are the outworking of faith. Abraham’s faith in the God who

created all life motivated him to obey God in offering up his only son,

Isaac. According to James, it is by obedience that faith is made perfect.

What is your own experience with how works (or the lack

thereof) impact your faith?

Wedn e sday

The Faith of Rahab

“Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works

when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”

(James 2:25, NKJV). Read Joshua 2:1–21. How do we understand

this example, again in the context of salvation by faith alone?

________________________________________________________

According to Hebrews 11:31, the inhabitants of Jericho did not

believe. Most modern translations describe them as being “disobedi-

ent.” The inhabitants of Jericho knew about Israel’s signal victories over

the Midianites and the Amorites, so they were well aware of the power

of Israel’s God. God’s judgment on Israel at Baalpeor taught the people

in Jericho of His holiness as well as His abhorrence of idolatry and

immorality: “All these events were known to the inhabitants of Jericho,

and there were many who shared Rahab’s conviction, though they

refused to obey it.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 492.

Rahab was not saved because of her dishonesty but in spite of it. She

believed in the true God, and she acted on that faith by protecting the

spies that Joshua sent out. There were also conditions: she obeyed the

messengers’ direction to hang the scarlet cord out her window, which

was reminiscent of the blood sprinkled around the doorposts of the

Israelite homes at the time of their Passover deliverance (see Exod.

12:21–24). While far from perfect, Rahab’s life is a model of faith that

shows the reality of God’s forgiveness and grace for everyone willing

to step out in faith and to trust God with the results.

Read

James 2:26. How does this text summarize the relationship

between faith and works?

________________________________________________________

Just as the body is only a corpse without the breath of life, so faith

without works is dead. In addition, without real faith any “obedience”

we might try to render would only amount to “dead works” (Heb. 6:1,

9:14), which are meaningless in the sight of God.

A harlot saved by faith? If that were the only example of salva-

tion by faith we had, what false conclusions could we draw from

it? Nevertheless, what hope can you take from her story for

yourself?

Thur s day

November 6

November 7

Further Study:

“When self is put entirely away, then you can obtain a

new and rich experience, you will discern your own imperfections as you

lie low at the foot of the cross, and as you view the perfections of Christ,

self will sink into insignificance.

“Christ will appear to the discerning eye the perfection of attrac-

tive loveliness; then His mould will be upon mind and heart, and will

be revealed in the character. The impress of the divine mind should

be made upon the heart, and manifested in the life. Come to Jesus in

your need, pray in living faith, hold fast to the hand of divine power,

believe, only believe, and you will see the salvation of God. If you will

be taught, God will teach you; if you will be led, He will lead you to

fountains of living waters.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Southern

Africa, p. 26.

Discussion Questions:

 Read over James 2 in one quick sitting. What is the essential

message there for those who trust only in the merits of Christ’s

righteousness for their salvation?

 Some argue that James talks about faith and works without

reference to Paul, and that we should interpret James on his own

terms. What’s wrong with that kind of thinking? Why, especially

in this case, is it important to keep in mind what other texts

say about faith and works? In fact, in the heat of the Protestant

Reformation, Catholic apologists often ran to the book of James to

defend the Roman Church against the Protestants. Why does this

show us how important it is to build our doctrines on all the texts

we have at our disposal?

 It is often said that faith and works should be kept in “bal-

ance.” In light of this lesson, do you agree with that statement?

Discuss your answer with others in the class.

 Why do we find no mention in James (or the rest of the New

Testament) of Abraham’s failure of faith in connection with

Ishmael or about Rahab’s lying? What does this fact teach us

about what it means to be covered by Christ’s righteousness?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

By Faith I See

Told to E I by V V

I was born into a poor family in a town north of Medellín, Colombia. Our

poverty carved out a hard life for us. Our town has no adequate water supply,

no electricity, no telephone. Our houses are made of mud pressed over bam-

boo poles, because we have no other building materials.

When travelers pass by, they wonder how we stay alive. Everyone looks

hungry. Even the dogs are skin and bones. My village knows only hunger,

hard work, sickness, and disease.

When I was little, I played in the hills around our home. When I was 11,

I began to help and work with the family. We harvested sweet potatoes and

plantains, a type of banana. I also herded cows.

One year a sickness spread throughout our village. It was so contagious

that doctors wouldn’t come to treat us. I became sick but recovered. However,

I noticed a change in my vision—everything looked yellow, then became

blurry. Finally, I lost my sight completely.

Sounds became my way of “seeing.” I listened to my uncle’s battery-

powered television and learned that life wasn’t so hard in other places. That

reality made me even more miserable. I hated my life of trouble and pain.

Fortunately, my mother was a Seventh-day Adventist, and her faith was

strong. As I gradually lost my vision, her faith became my strength. She taught

me to trust God. At age 15, two years after I became blind, I was baptized.

I enrolled in a school for blind students for six months, and then returned

to my regular school. It took me longer to finish my studies, but I kept at it.

During the summer I worked as a literature evangelist. My cousin guided

me from door to door, and I talked to the people about the hope they could

find in Jesus. I chose to work in the poor neighborhoods, because I thought

there would be many people who needed God and hope. They did want my

books, and they were glad to know that they were helping me too.

When I was younger, I was angry and bitter because of my family’s poverty.

Then when I became blind I became more angry and bitter, and wondered

why all of these bad things were happening to me. Several doctors examined

my eyes, and I have even had surgery; but they could not restore my eyesight.

Now I see by faith. When I learned to trust God, I realized that He does not

guarantee an easy life. But He does promise to walk with us during our earthly

life, and if we are faithful, He will guarantee an eternal life.

Several people have asked to study the Bible with me. They want to get

to know Jesus and share His power just as I have. If it takes my blindness

to win others to Jesus, then I want to be a good example so that others may

see Jesus through my faith.

V V was in his second year of studying theology at Colombia Adventist

University in Medellín at the time of this writing.

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Taming the Tongue

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 3:1–12; Deut. 6:6, 7;

Luke 9:51–56; Prov. 16:27; Matt. 7:16–18.

Memory Text:

“ ‘For by your words you will be justified, and by your

words you will be condemned’ ” (Matt. 12:37, NKJV).

ords hold tremendous power. “A word fitly spoken” (Prov.

25:11)—praise, poetry, stories—can shape lives in profound

ways. What we say may linger for days or even years. Children,

for example, absorb words like sponges. That’s why they soon speak flu-

ently whatever language they grow up hearing. It’s also why the messages

they hear about themselves may foreshadow their future success or fail-

ure. For better or worse, the communication style of parents is replicated

and amplified in their children.

The written word is powerful, too, and even more lasting. Most pow-

erful of all is God’s Word. Consider: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,

and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105); and “Thy word have I hid in

mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (vs. 11). Jesus directed the

attention of the disciples away from temporal blessings to something

much more vital: “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and

they are life” (John 6:63).

Words can soothe and reassure or poison and contaminate. How

often have you said something you wished you could take back?

This week, as we will see, James has some important words about,

well, words.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 15.

*November 8–14

Less o n

November 9

Accountability

Read

James 3:1. What important point is he making here about

accountability?

________________________________________________________

Teachers in the church and in Christian schools have an especially

heavy responsibility because they shape minds and hearts in ways

that will last for years. This effect includes the rippling impact they

will have on many others beyond their immediate sphere of influence.

The more we know, the more responsible we become for utilizing and

imparting that knowledge.

At the entrance to the Tyndale House library in Cambridge, England,

is a plaque reminding every scholar who enters there: “The fear of the

L is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). Man is not the measure

of all things; God is, and all true education begins and ends with Him.

Unfortunately, as knowledge increases, dependence on God tends to

diminish. It is too often practiced and taught, for example, that science

functions independently from God. Some teachers of theology, in striv-

ing for credibility, also may utilize methods that leave little or no room

for faith. As a result, faith can gradually get squeezed out of the minds

and hearts of both teachers and students. But as long as educating for

eternity, not just for this world, is uppermost for teachers and students

alike, learning will be a precious, even inspirational, endeavor.

Paul understood this responsibility, for he trained and ordained lead-

ers in the churches he raised up (Acts 14:23; compare Titus 1:5). He

even gave instructions to Timothy to guard God’s flock from inexperi-

enced and unwise shepherds (see 1 Tim. 1:3–7; 3:2–6; 6:2–5; 2Tim.

2:14, 15), warning that some are “always learning and never able to

come to the knowledge of the truth” (2Tim. 3:7, NKJV).

Parents carry a weighty responsibility in teaching their children, who

in turn influence others. All of us, in fact, by the example we set, can

have a profound influence on those around us. How important then that

we seek God’s wisdom, which He has promised us (James 1:5), that we

might model His ways and exert a godly influence. For we all, for good

or for bad, do exert influence over others.

Think about those who have influenced you in a positive way.

What did they do? How did they impact you? And, most impor-

tant, how can you do the same for others?

sunday

November 10

Word Power

“For we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2, ESV). What a refresh-

ing admission, especially considering James’s emphasis on behavior!

Still, our acknowledgment of the “real” need not dim our belief in

God’s ideal for us as His representatives on earth.

“If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able

also to bridle his whole body” (vs. 2, ESV). The form of the condition

in Greek implies that not stumbling in word is a real possibility. The

importance of words can scarcely be overestimated. Thoughts lead to

words, which in turn lead to actions. Words also reinforce what we

think. Thus, they influence not only what we do but also what others

do. We are interconnected through language.

This week’s passage contains several illustrations of the power of the

tongue. The first three emphasize how something small can have huge

consequences: a bit and bridle can turn a horse, a rudder can steer a

ship, and a spark can engulf a forest in flames.

What

positive kinds of “word power” do we find in Scripture? See

Deut. 6:6, 7; 23:23; Ps. 40:3; Prov. 10:20, 21; 12:25; Mal. 2:6, 7; Luke

4:22; Rom. 10:6–8.

________________________________________________________

Young children are impressionable, but, like trees that grow stiffer

and more fixed, children resist change more as they age. In one sense,

we are all teachers, whether in the home or in the church. Because

our words have so much power, it’s important to bathe our thoughts

in God’s Word early in the day. After all, what feeds our thoughts and

words, God’s Spirit or another source? We must not underestimate the

enormous changes that are possible through God’s Word (Ps. 33:6;

compare 2Cor. 4:6), as opposed to other sources.

Words are so potentially powerful that, with just a few sentences,

you can devastate a person, perhaps for the rest of his or her life. On

the other hand, positive words can uplift someone, perhaps for just

as long.

If you had dynamite in your hands, how careful would you be

with it? What should your answer tell you about how you should

deal with something even more powerful than dynamite?

Monday

November 11

“Little” Things Are the Big Things

Read

James 3:3–5. What do the two illustrations have in common, and

how do they relate to the tongue?

________________________________________________________

Both the bit in a horse’s mouth and the rudder of a ship are very

small compared to what they control. Yet, with a slight movement of the

hand, the horse’s or the ship’s direction can be completely changed. By

the same token, “even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great

things” (vs. 5, NKJV). In other words, a word or even a look or a gesture

might seem small, but each can change a friend into an enemy or trans-

form a bad situation into something good. “A soft answer turneth away

wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1). Imagine a horse

galloping at full speed and a ship slicing through the water at full throttle

but both headed in the wrong direction. The faster something goes, the

farther away it gets from its destination. The best course then is to stop

and turn around as soon as possible. The same is true of our words. If a

conversation is going from bad to worse, the sooner we stop, the better.

Read

Luke 9:51–56. What was Jesus’ response to the suggestion of the

disciples? What was the result, and what lessons might this story

have for us?

________________________________________________________

Although the disciples had a biblical precedent for their suggestion

(2 Kings 1:10, 12), Jesus rejected the suggestion. His rebuke dramati-

cally altered the situation. The story ends simply by indicating that “they

went to another village” (Luke 9:56). Jesus turned His rejection by a

Samaritan village into a learning experience for His followers. In the heat

of the moment, when feelings rise up and clamor for us to defend our-

selves, we can remember the example of Jesus and, figuratively speaking,

move on “to another village.”

“As drops of water make the river, so little things make up life. Life is

a river, peaceful, calm, and enjoyable, or it is a troubled river, always cast-

ing up mire and dirt.”—Ellen G. White, That I May Know Him, p. 209.

What are some “little” things in your life that, as you dwell further

on them, might not be so “little” after all?

Tues day

November 12

Damage Control

We’ve all experienced it. Something we said gets magnified, perhaps

even exaggerated, to the point that we don’t even recognize it anymore.

As James says, “See how great a forest a little fire kindles” (3:5, NKJV).

Read

prayerfully and carefully James 3:6. What is he saying about the

power of our tongue, of our words, to “defile” everything about us?

Why should this verse make us tremble before we speak?

________________________________________________________

While fire, when used symbolically, can signify cleansing (Isa. 4:4,

Zech. 13:9), it more frequently refers to destruction (see, for example,

Josh. 6:24; 11:9, 11; 1 Sam. 30:3; Matt. 7:19), including the destruc-

tiveness of ill-advised words (Prov. 16:27, 26:21).

Not only can a large fire start from a spark, it can also ravage and

destroy with amazing speed. In the same way, words can destroy friend-

ships, marriages, and reputations. They can sink into a child’s psyche

and mar his or her self-concept and future development.

Sin originated on earth with a seemingly innocent question (see Gen.

3:1). It began in heaven in a similar way. Lucifer “began to insinuate

doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings.”—Ellen G.

White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 37. So, it is no exaggeration to say

that the tongue is “set on fire by hell” (James 3:6, NKJV).

While it is true that words once spoken are gone forever and that we

cannot fully undo what we have said, we should do all we can to lessen

the damage and correct what we can. Taking steps to make things right

will also help us not to repeat the same mistake. For example, after

a further revelation from God, Nathan the prophet returned to David

immediately to correct something he had said (see 2 Sam. 7:1–17).

Peter wept bitterly over his denial of Christ and later demonstrated

more openly the genuineness of his repentance (John 21:15–17).

Though “no man can tame the tongue” (James 3:8, NKJV), we are

admonished to “keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speak-

ing lies” (Ps. 34:13, NIV). Only the Spirit of God can help us keep our

words in check (see Eph. 4:29–32).

Read James 3:6–8. Why should the thoughts in these verses make

us be so careful with what we say? How can we learn to appreci-

ate the power for good, or evil, contained in our mouths?

Wedn e sday

Blessing and Cursing

Read

James 3:9–12. What truth does James illustrate using the foun-

tain, the fig tree, and the grapevine?

________________________________________________________

The idea of both blessing and cursing coming out of the mouth of a

Christian is disturbing, to say the least. What about watching profanity-

laced television programs or movies during the week and attending

church on Sabbath to hear the Word of God? What about someone

who speaks the truth and wonderful words about Jesus, only to later

be heard telling an off-color joke? These images should be spiritually

disturbing because they are contrary to what we know to be right. The

same mouth that praises God later tells a dirty joke? What’s wrong with

this contrast?

James uses the image of a spring. Water quality depends on its source,

and the root determines the fruit (compare Matt. 7:16–18). Similarly,

if God’s Word is implanted in us, its working will be evident in our

lives. Understanding this truth frees us from the burden to “prove” our

faith. Pure religion is rooted in faith, which is self-authenticating, just

as a pure water spring needs no proof other than the water that flows

naturally from it.

At the same time, though, one could ask, “If we were to take a ‘snap-

shot’ of certain devoted followers of God at low points in their experi-

ence (Moses murdering the Egyptian, David with Bathsheba, and so

on), might we not legitimately question their profession?”

God’s will, of course, is that we do not sin (1 John 2:1). However,

since the fall of Adam and Eve, God has made provision for our for-

giveness if we do sin, based on faith in the promised Sacrifice (com-

pare Ps. 32:1, 2). Nevertheless, the fact remains that sin brings sadness

while obedience brings blessing. Moses spent 40 years tending sheep

to unlearn the training that led him to kill, and David suffered the

death of the child Bathsheba bore, as well as a divided household that

threatened his kingdom to the end of his life. Sure, we can be forgiven

our sins after we do them; the problem, however, is that so often the

consequences of those sins can remain, often with devastating results

not just for ourselves but for others too. How much better to be on our

knees asking for the power of victory than having to ask for forgiveness

afterward and then plead for the damage to be brought under control.

Thur s day

November 13

November 14

Further Study:

Read about the power of speech in “Talents,” from

the book Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 335–339, by Ellen G. White, and

share the points that impressed you with your Sabbath School class.

“When in the company of those who indulge in foolish talk, it is our

duty to change the subject of conversation if possible. By the help of

the grace of God we should quietly drop words or introduce a subject

that will turn the conversation into a profitable channel. . . .

“Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in

our experience. We should speak of the mercy and loving-kindness of

God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour’s love. Our words should

be words of praise and thanksgiving. If the mind and heart are full of

the love of God, this will be revealed in the conversation. It will not

be a difficult matter to impart that which enters into our spiritual life.

Great thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, unselfish

purposes, yearnings for piety and holiness, will bear fruit in words that

reveal the character of the heart treasure. When Christ is thus revealed

in our speech, it will have power in winning souls to Him.”—Ellen G.

White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 337, 338.

Discussion Questions:

 The problem with words is that, for most of us, they come out

so easily. So often, too, they come out almost before we even have

a chance to think about what we are saying. Because this is true,

how can we learn to think carefully before we open our mouths?

 Think about the power of your words even upon your own self.

Do this experiment: consciously talk to others as much as you can

about what God has done in your life, how He has blessed you,

how He has gotten you through trials, and so on. Do this even for

only a day or so, and then ask yourself, How has this impacted my

faith?

 What do you think your words reveal to others about what

goes on in your heart? Might they be revealing more than you

would like to think? If you recorded all your spoken words in a

single day and then played them back to yourself, what would they

reveal about you?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

The Disobedient Son: Part 1

V M

Vitaliano had it made. As an officer in the Cuban military, he had a steady

job that carried with it a certain amount of respect. He and his wife, Migdalia,

had two small children and lived in a modest home. Things were going well,

and he had no interest in God or religion.

One day Vitaliano returned from work early and greeted his wife. But

his five-year-old son, Alexey, did not come running to greet him. “Where is

Alexey?” he asked.

“He’s at Rosabel’s,” Migdalia answered.

Rosabel was a teenage girl who lived next door. She was a good girl who

loved all the children. She sponsored a children’s Bible club every week, and

when she invited Alexey to attend, Migdalia agreed to let him go, but she

warned Alexey not to tell his father, for he would be angry.

Alexey attended the Bible club whenever his father wasn’t home. He loved

the songs and Bible videos, which taught him so much about Jesus.

“What is Alexey doing at Rosabel’s?” Vitaliano asked. Migdalia hoped

that he wouldn’t ask. Now she had to tell him that Alexey was attending the

children’s Bible club.

Vitaliano’s face turned red with anger. “You know I don’t want anything to

do with religion!” he exploded. “Why did you let him go?”

“Rosabel invited him,” Migdalia said. “Please, let him stay. He is learning

such good things, and this is his only chance to be with other children.”

A few minutes later, Alexey arrived home. But when he saw his father’s

face, he knew that he was in trouble.

“Alexey,” his father said firmly. “I do not want you to go to that Bible club

meeting again! I do not want God in this house!”

Alexey didn’t want to disobey his father, so for several weeks he did not

attend the Bible club. But when he heard the children singing, he longed to

go. One evening he asked his mother if he could return to the Bible club. She

agreed, and he happily ran to join the other children.

Alexey attended the Bible club regularly after that. Then one evening his

father again came home early and found Alexey gone. “Where is he?” he

asked. When Migdalia did not answer promptly, he guessed. “Is he at that

house church next door?” he stormed. Migdalia nodded. “Go get him, right

now!” he demanded.

“Please, Vitaliano,” she pleaded. “Let him go. It is better for him to be there

than running in the streets. At least let him stay until the meeting is over.”

A few minutes later, Alexey bounded into the house. But when he saw

his father’s angry look, Alexey began to cry. “Please don’t spank me, Papa!”

he pleaded. But Vitaliano was not going to let his son disobey him. As he

spanked him, he ordered, “You will not go back to that house church again!”

(continued)

The Humility of Heavenly

Wisdom

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 3:13–4:10; Deut. 4:6;

Gal. 5:17; Jer. 3:6–10, 20; Acts 19:13–16; Ps. 24:3–6.

Memory Text:

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord,

and He will exalt you” (James 4:10, NASB).

n many midsize and larger companies, a “middle-manager men-

tality” exists. This attitude happens when workers feel entitled to

something they do not yet have: more respect, a higher salary, a

more advanced position, and so on. This unhealthy attitude develops

over time as the person strives to get ahead. Symptoms may include

flattering remarks served up to decision makers and uncomplimentary

revelations made about coworkers, all seasoned with a spirit of self-

ish rivalry. When one major television news anchor advanced to the

top without destroying others to get there, a colleague admiringly

observed: “There were no dead bodies.”

It would be nice to think that selfish rivalry is confined to secu-

lar organizations and that the church operates quite differently.

Unfortunately, Scripture indicates that all too often worldly “wisdom”

also operates among believers.

This week, let’s see what the Word of God has to say about this

unfortunate reality.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 22.

*November 15–21

Less o n

November 16

The Meekness of Wisdom

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good con-

duct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James

3:13, ESV). “The meekness of wisdom”? What might that mean?

________________________________________________________

Some commentators think that the entire third chapter of James

has to do with what qualifies (or disqualifies) people to be teachers.

Naturally, the “wise and understanding” would seem to be good can-

didates, but the scope seems to be broader, encompassing the whole

congregation. The wisdom James describes here and throughout the

epistle is not primarily the intellectual variety so esteemed by the

ancient Greeks and many Western countries today. Rather, wisdom

is seen in one’s conduct and lifestyle, as indicated by the Greek word

for it, anastrophe, translated “conduct” (used also in 1Tim. 4:12, Heb.

13:7, 1Pet. 1:15, 2:12). Our actions and conduct testify as to how wise

we are. Jesus taught the same, saying that “ ‘wisdom is justified by her

children’ ” (Matt. 11:19, NKJV).

Interestingly, the only place in the Old Testament where the phrase

translated “wise and understanding” is found is in Moses’ admonition

to Israel to observe all the laws that God had commanded: “Keep them

and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in

the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say,

‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’ ” (Deut.

4:6, ESV; emphasis added).

In contrast, the “bitter” water spring referred to in James 3:11 pro-

duces “envy and selfish ambition” (v. 14, NIV) in the church. The latter

translates from the Greek word eritheia, which refers to “the exclusive

pursuit of one’s own interests.”—Ceslas Spicq, Theological Lexicon

of the New Testament (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers), vol. 2,

p. 70. That’s an attitude that sounds more like Satan in heaven than like

what Christians should be on earth. Unless we make a conscious choice

to die to self and surrender our wills to the Lord, all of us could be in

danger of displaying precisely the attitudes here that James warns about.

Dwell more on the phrase “the meekness of wisdom.” What are

some of the situations in which, right now, some of this wisdom

on your part would be very helpful?

sunday

November 17

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Read

James 3:15, 16. What is his description of worldly wisdom?

What are the common ways we see this “wisdom” manifested in the

world, or even in the church?

________________________________________________________

The wisdom that we have naturally is “earthly,” even “demonic” or

“devilish,” and devoid of the Spirit. This should not be too surprising.

Long ago Solomon spoke about the “way that seems right” as being

“the way of death” (Prov. 14:12, NKJV; 16:25, NKJV). This wisdom is

destructive to its core. If jealousy and selfish ambition are cultivated

and expressed, the natural result will be disorder and dissension, similar

to the situation in Corinth (see 2 Cor. 12:20, where several of the same

words are used).

Read

James 3:17, 18; John 3:3–7; Colossians 3:1, 2. Together, what are

these texts telling us about “heavenly” wisdom?

________________________________________________________

While James never refers to the Holy Spirit directly, the idea of the

new birth is clearly present. The apostle seems to prefer, instead, the

agricultural metaphor of sowing and bearing fruit, perhaps based on

Jesus’ parables that refer to the Word being “sown” in people’s hearts

as they hear the gospel message (see Matt. 13:3–9, 18–23). Heavenly

wisdom is “full of mercy,” as well as “good fruits.” As we have seen,

despite the emphasis in James on obedience and good works as the fruit

of faith, mercy triumphs even in the judgment (James 2:13). In other

words, the truly wise will not only be meek and humble like Jesus but

also peaceable, gentle, merciful, and forgiving, willing to overlook the

faults of others, not critical or judgmental of them.

It’s so easy to fall into the ways of the world, isn’t it? Examine

yourself: how much does worldly wisdom, in contrast to wisdom

from heaven, influence how you live?

Monday

Cause of Conflict and Quarrels

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not

come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”

(James 4:1, NKJV; compare Gal. 5:17). What basic conflict do both

of these passages describe?

________________________________________________________

The opening verses of James 4 describe believers torn asunder by

internal, bitter strife. There is an inward cause of the outward quarrels

in the church: the cravings for pleasure (the word in Greek gives us our

word hedonism). These sinful desires, which Paul metaphorically refers

to as “the flesh,” are actively making war against our higher, spiritual

motivations. The Christian life involves a protracted battle which, if not

governed by the “wisdom from above” (James 3:17), spills out to the

church itself and causes spiritual trauma among believers.

Read

James 4:2, 3. What specific sinful desires are mentioned, and

how are they affecting the church?

________________________________________________________

These verses contain direct references to the Ten Commandments:

“You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain”

(James 4:2, NKJV). The repeated references to the problem of envy,

coveting, and cravings or passions (compare James 3:14, 16) reflect a

perspective similar to the one expressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the

Mount, in which the inner motivations, not just outward actions, are

in view. Therefore, the reference to murder is probably meant, in this

broader sense, to include anger. The earliest congregations probably

did not have members killing one another. On the other hand, as we

learn from the book of Acts, there were times, particularly in Jerusalem

where James was based, when betrayal could easily have led to the

arrest and putting to death of church members.

“It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from

above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led

Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be

seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus,

and learn of Him.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 330, 331.

Tues day

November 18

November 19

Friendship With the World

Read

James 4:2–4. Why does James call his readers “adulterers and

adulteresses”? See Jer. 3:6–10, 20; Isa. 54:5; Jer. 2:2; Luke 16:13.

________________________________________________________

Alluding to the biblical concept of Israel as God’s bride, James likens

believers’ going along with worldly customs and being influenced by

worldly attitudes to spiritual adultery. In reality, they are choosing a

different master and lord.

The next verse, James 4:5, is not easy to understand. Some have

called it the most difficult verse in the New Testament. The ambiguity

of the Greek text is reflected in the major translations. Some consider

the “spirit” to be the Holy Spirit (“the Spirit . . . in us yearns jealously,”

NKJV, HCSB; “He jealously desires the Spirit . . . ,” NASB). Others con-

sider it to be the human spirit (“God yearns jealously for the spirit that

he has made to dwell in us,” NRSV; “he jealously longs for the spirit he

has caused to dwell in us,” NIV). The latter rendering by the NIV fits the

grammar and context best, but regardless of the translation, the mean-

ing of the verse is not very clear. Based on a careful study of the verse’s

syntax and the immediate context, verses 5 and 6 could be translated

as follows: “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks in vain against

envy? The spirit which He has caused to dwell in us yearns, but He

gives more grace. Therefore He says, ‘God resists the proud but gives

grace to the humble’ ” (James 4:5, 6, author’s translation).

As verses 1–4 make clear, the human spirit (or “heart”) is permeated

with desires that, while not originally or in themselves evil, have been

twisted by sin into wicked pathways. Grace is the only real solution to

our plight. The proud, however, have placed themselves in a position

where they can’t easily receive that grace. Someone wrote that we get

grace as do beggars holding out a tin cup before a waterfall. Only a per-

son humble, meek, and aware of his or her utter need and dependency is

open to grace, to the unmerited favor bestowed upon those who are, in

every way, unworthy. As Ellen G. White wrote, “Our great need is our

only claim on God’s mercy.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 317.

Look at yourself. What in you makes you worthy of salvation?

How does your answer help you realize the great need of grace in

your own life? How does the Cross, and the Cross alone, answer

that need?

Wedn e sday

Submission to God

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will

flee from you” (James 4:7, NRSV). Notice the order of the commands

here. If we try to resist the devil in our own strength, what chance of

success do we have? When seven Jewish exorcists tried to get a demon

out of a possessed man by using the names of Jesus and Paul as a kind

of magic formula, the demon-possessed man so overpowered the exor-

cists that they ran away naked and bleeding (Acts 19:13–16). Thus, we

need to submit to God and His will in order to resist the devil. In fact,

by taking that very step, we are resisting the devil.

At the same time, we should not suppose that the first readers of

James’s letter had never submitted themselves to God before. James

is clearly writing to professed believers. So, perhaps we need to think

more in terms of submitting ourselves to God daily and resisting the

devil whenever his temptations assert themselves.

Read

James 4:8–10. What commands does James give, and how are

they interrelated? How are they connected with submission to God,

as well?

________________________________________________________

The appeal to change in these verses is the culmination of all that

James has been saying since 3:13. In the passage we have been study-

ing this week, there are contrasts between heavenly wisdom and devil-

ish wisdom, and between the proud who exalt themselves as the devil

did (see Isa. 14:12–14) and the lowly who submit to God and humble

themselves. There is also a charge of infidelity to the covenant with

God (James 4:4), and the charge of being double-minded is repeated

(vs. 8; compare 1:8). Therefore, the call to submit to God goes beyond

moralistic admonition; it is calling sinners to repentance, as Jesus did

(Luke 5:32).

How should one repent? James supplies the steps (based on Psalm

24:3–6): (1) draw near to God, and He will draw near to you; (2)

cleanse your hands and purify your hearts (that is, actions as well as

thoughts); (3) lament, mourn, and weep for your shortcomings, real-

izing again that your need is your only claim to God’s grace.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you

up” (James 4:10, NKJV). What does that mean? How do you learn

to humble yourself? How can we learn to emulate the humility

that Jesus revealed?

Thur s day

November 20

November 21

Further Study:

“There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of

care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its

service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character

is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and

worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves

an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the

life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage....

He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and

His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added.”

—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 330.

Discussion Questions:

 Think more about the two kinds of wisdom discussed in

Monday’s lesson and make a list of the thoughts associated with

each. Now think about times during this week where you made

important decisions or took important actions. Which kind of

wisdom was involved?

 As we saw on Sunday, God promised Israel that, as a result

of their observing His laws, surrounding nations would come to

admire them as “a wise and understanding people.” But did this

not lead Israel to become proud? This is, of course, contrary to

heavenly wisdom, which leads to humility. What happened to

them, and how can we learn to avoid their mistakes? How could

a proper understanding of the true meaning of the sanctuary ser-

vice have been their best defense against pride? How should the

Cross, for us today, be the ultimate defense against pride?

 Read again the Ellen G. White statement above. How many

of the world’s standards do we strive for? Are those standards

always, of necessity, wrong? So often, too, we can read of people

who, by the world’s standards, seem to have everything; and yet,

their lives turn out to be wrecks. What should that tell us about

just how deceptive so much of what the world offers really is?

Most important, though, how can we learn to resist the world and

help our young people, who can be easily caught up by the false

promises of the world, not to fall into this trap?

 Dwell more on this idea of humility. Why is that so important

in the life of a Christian? Why is pride so deadly for anyone who

wants to follow Jesus?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

The Disobedient Son: Part 2

V M

Vitaliano hated having a house church next door. He decided to turn his

radio up to full volume to rock music when the group met. He thought: If I

disturb their meetings, they’ll find another place to meet, and I won’t have to

deal with them in my neighborhood! He played loud music for months, but

the group continued meeting. No one complained. In fact, the few members

of the church who knew Vitaliano were kinder than ever to him.

Alexey’s attendance at the club awakened in Migdalia’s heart a desire

to know God. She began reading the Bible and accepted Bible studies from

Rosabel. Sometimes Migdalia read the Bible and ignored her housework.

When Vitaliano returned home and found the house a mess, he asked his

mother what happened. “Your wife spends all day reading the Bible and

doesn’t have time to clean the house.” Another time Vitaliano’s mother told

him, “I think Migdalia is going to the house church on Saturday mornings.”

Vitaliano confronted his wife. “Are you going to become a Christian?” he

asked. “I do not want you to go to that church anymore!”

One day Vitaliano found Migdalia studying the Bible. Grabbing the Bible,

he threatened to throw it into the fire but fear gripped him. Will God punish

me for burning the Bible? he wondered. He closed the door and threw the

Bible into the bedroom.

A few days later, he saw the Bible on a shelf. Opening it, his eyes fell

on Malachi 3:17: “‘They will be mine,’ says the L Almighty, ‘in the

day when I make up my treasured possession’” (NIV). Vitaliano closed the

Bible. He knew that God was telling him that his wife and son belonged to

God. He became afraid to forbid them to attend the church.

A few days later, the pastor’s son came to visit Vitaliano. The two had

been friends for many years. “My friend,” the man said, “we are having a

program this evening, and I’d like you to come.”

“Look, I’m wearing work clothes, I’m dirty,” Vitaliano responded. But his

friend offered to go with him, and Vitaliano reluctantly agreed.

The program had a lot of music, and Vitaliano enjoyed it. When his friend

invited him again, Vitaliano went. Little by little, Vitaliano’s heart softened.

A few weeks later, his friend invited him to study the Bible. Vitaliano

agreed. He began attending worship services in the house church.

Soon Vitaliano’s mother began attending the church too. Now the whole

family was attending church and studying the Bible together. A few months

later Vitaliano, Migdalia, and Vitaliano’s mother were baptized.

At his baptism, Vitaliano testified, “It was my son whose example brought

our family to the feet of Jesus.”

V M and his wife, M, are active lay workers in their home

church in Holguín, Cuba.

One Lawgiver and Judge

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 4:11–17; Acts 17:11;

Heb. 4:15, 16; Luke 12:13–21; Eccles. 2:15–19; Titus 2:14.

Memory Text:

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to

destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” (James 4:12).

ur attitude toward law, whether God’s law or humans’, affects

how we relate to others and even how we relate to God Himself.

Have you noticed that sometimes the rich and famous act as

if they are above the law? Even some who make the laws, or enforce

them, may look for ways to write those laws for their own personal

gain. Disrespect for a society’s laws, then, can involve disrespect for

other people, because laws govern how we relate to each other.

At the same time, those whose attitude toward law is rigid and

unbending may also have difficulty in their interpersonal relationships.

At a deeper level, our view of the law depends on the degree of respect

we have for the wisdom of the lawgivers and the fairness of their laws.

This week’s lesson begins with a look at the law but then leads into

some important words about a form of arrogance and self-dependence

that we might not be aware of but which we are warned about as being

sin, a violation of God’s law. In fact, we’re given here, in James, another

way of looking at sin.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 29.

*November 22–28

Less o n

November 23

Judgment or Discernment?

“Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks

against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and

judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but

sitting in judgment on it” (James 4:11, NIV). How does judging

others amount to sitting in judgment of the law?

________________________________________________________

The initial phrase in verse 11 that is literally translated “speak

against” could include several sins of speech, including slander, bear-

ing false witness, and angry words (see Lev. 19:15–18). On the one

hand, it seems that James uses milder language here than in chapter

3; yet, the implications of speaking against one’s brother or sister

seem more serious in that doing so calls into question the law itself.

By placing ourselves on the judgment seat, we ignore our own weak-

nesses (see Matt. 7:1–3) and focus instead on another’s wrongdoing,

as if we were somehow outside of or above the law. Such a focus also

fails to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18). Thus, we are not

keeping the law.

At the same time, however, while we should not be judging others,

we must learn to have spiritual discernment.

Identify

in the following passages the areas in which spiritual discernment

is called for: Acts 17:11, 1 Cor. 6:1–5, 2 Cor. 13:5, Phil. 1:9, 1 John 4:1,

Gal. 6:1.

________________________________________________________

We are to compare what people teach and preach with the Word of God.

We should also, as far as possible, encourage church members to settle

their differences among themselves rather than in courts, where the judges

may or may not be guided by God’s Word. Most important, we should

examine ourselves as to the health of our faith relationship and whether

what we dwell on is uplifting and excellent or detrimental to our Christian

experience.

It’s so easy to criticize and judge others, especially when they do

things we don’t like. How can we learn to know if we have crossed

the line from being spiritually discerning to being judgmental

toward God’s law?

sunday

November 24

The Lawgiver Is Judge

All the laws of the Old Testament are from Jesus. They are some-

times called the laws of Moses because they were given through him

(2 Chron. 33:8, Neh. 10:29), but it was Jesus who led the Israelites

through the wilderness and spoke the Ten Commandments to them at

Mount Sinai (see 1Cor. 10:1–4). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus

clarified and amplified the law. He is the “Word... made flesh” (John

1:14), and it is by His Word that we will be judged (John 12:48).

“There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save

and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James

4:12, ESV). What do the following verses tell us about Jesus as our

Judge? Isa. 33:22; 11:1–5; Heb. 4:15, 16; Rev. 19:11–16.

________________________________________________________

Only someone who knows the law very well is qualified to judge

whether or not it has been broken. Lawyers study for many years before

taking bar exams, which test their readiness to begin their practice. The

scribes in the time of Jesus (many of whom were Pharisees) diligently

studied also, and not only the Mosaic laws but also the accumulated

legal traditions. The fact that Jesus did not agree with many of these

traditions resulted in serious conflict with the leaders. But as the One

who gave these laws, He was and is uniquely qualified to explain what

they mean and to assess whether or not they have been transgressed. So

when He comes again, His reward is with Him to give to all according

to their works (Rev. 22:12). Furthermore, by taking on human nature,

living a sinless life, dying in our place, and being raised victorious over

sin and death, Jesus is able to save us from sin.

“God has committed all judgment unto the Son, for without contro-

versy He is God manifest in the flesh.

“God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be

judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to

save man from eternal death; .. . He who submitted to be arraigned

before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of

the cross—He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of pun-

ishment.”—Ellen G. White, Maranatha, p. 341. As both Lawgiver and

Savior, Christ is uniquely qualified to be our Judge.

Either reward or punishment, we will face only one or the other.

What’s your only hope of reward?

Monday

Planning Ahead

Read

James 4:13. (Compare Luke 12:13–21.) How do we balance

prudent planning for the future with our need to live each day in

expectation of Christ’s imminent coming? How can we avoid the

trap of merely building bigger “barns”?

________________________________________________________

It may seem very reasonable to plan a year in advance or even more.

Businesses commonly have short-, medium-, and long-range plans.

Individuals and families need to save for the future and to make provi-

sion for unexpected expenses. On the other hand, we also believe that

Jesus is coming soon and that, someday, all of our earthly possessions

will be consumed by flames (see 2Pet. 3:10–12).

These two approaches to life are not necessarily in conflict.

Someone has said, “Plan as if Christ were not coming for years but

live each day as if Christ were coming tomorrow.” This is good as far

as it goes, though long-term planning can make it difficult to take one

day at a time. Many of Jesus’ hearers (and no doubt many Christians

today) would consider that the rich man who decided to build big-

ger barns was prosperous because God was blessing him. But Jesus

reveals to us the man’s inner thoughts: “ ‘Soul, you have many goods

laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry’”

(Luke 12:19, NKJV). In short, his overarching concern was to lay up

treasure for himself.

Most important, rather than making our plans too definite, “Instead

you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’”

(James 4:15, NKJV). This means more than simply appending “d.v.”

(Deo volente, Latin for “God willing”) to the end of a sentence about

our future plans. It means we should submit all our plans to God. We

can pray, “God, I want to know Your will. If You are not pleased with

these plans, please show me.” Then, if our plans are not good, God will

show us that—as long as we remain attentive and willing to correct our

plans or even change them entirely.

Read again James 4:13. Though on the surface nothing really

seems wrong with what is being said, obviously there’s a prob-

lem—not in what the people want to do but in their attitude

about it. How can we be careful not to get caught up in that same

attitude, even subconsciously?

Tues day

November 25

November 26

A Mist

Read

James 4:14. What crucial point is being made here?

________________________________________________________

Life is uncertain. Every breath is a gift. James 4:14 uses a very

rare Greek word (atmis), which is translated as “vapor” or “mist.”

Like the Hebrew word hebel (“breath, vapor”), which occurs 38 times

in Ecclesiastes and is often translated as “vanity,” it emphasizes the

transitory nature of life. Who hasn’t, especially as we get older, expe-

rienced just how fast and fleeting life is? Well into his old age, well-

known evangelist Billy Graham said, “I never knew that life went by

so quickly.”

In other words, there’s always the imminence of death. We are all just

a heartbeat away from it. Any of us, at any moment, for any number

of reasons, could die in an instant. How rightly James says, “yet you

do not know what tomorrow will bring” (4:14, ESV), including death.

“I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but

there is a terrible danger—a danger not sufficiently understood—in

delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choos-

ing to live in sin; for such this delay really is.”—Ellen G. White, Steps

to Christ, p. 32.

Plus, not only is life so short but, in and of itself, it can also be so

unsatisfying.

Read

Ecclesiastes 2:15–19; 4:4; 5:10; 9:11, 12. How does the message

of Solomon here only add to the point that James has made?

________________________________________________________

We see so much injustice, so much unfairness, so much that doesn’t

make sense in this life. No wonder we all long for the promise of eter-

nal life made to us through Jesus. Without that, we are just a mist that

will be gone and forever forgotten.

Take stock: How much of this world holds you in its grip? How

can you always keep in mind just how fleeting it all is?

Wedn e sday

Knowing and Doing What Is Good

Read

James 4:15–17 in the context of the verses that come before it.

What crucial point is he making here?

________________________________________________________

James here is dealing with the attitude of self-dependence. In fact,

he calls that attitude “arrogance” and the words spoken as “boasting”;

he says it is “evil.” That’s how important the right attitude is for the

Christian.

Read verse 17. The Bible defines sin in two ways: (1) doing wrong;

(2) not doing right. The first definition is given by John: “sin is the

transgression of the law” (1John 3:4). Many modern versions render

it “sin is lawlessness,” but the Greek word anomia refers to specific

violations of the law rather than to habitual lawless behavior (see its

use in Rom. 4:7, Titus 2:14, Heb. 10:17). The second definition is given

in James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth

it not, to him it is sin.” We must therefore go beyond simply resisting

temptation to do wrong. We are called to be “children of light” (Eph.

5:8) and to “ ‘let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see

[our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven’ ”

(Matt. 5:16, ESV; emphasis added).

Of course, one could get easily discouraged because, after all, who

constantly does all the good they could possibly do every single day?

But that’s not the issue. Even Jesus’ life was not a continual round of

ceaseless activity. There were times when He withdrew to pray or sim-

ply to rest (Luke 5:16, Mark 6:31). Most important, He sought God’s

will in everything He did (John 5:30). Jesus even compared doing

God’s will to eating: “ ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me,

and to finish His work’ ” (John 4:34, NKJV). Just as there are limits to

how much we can eat at one sitting, so there are limits to how much we

can do. That is why Jesus goes on to say that some sow while others

reap but both “rejoice together” (vss. 36–38). As we work for the Lord,

we will be encouraged to do more and will pray for a greater willing-

ness to be used in every possible way.

How does prayer help us die to self and thus maintain an attitude

of surrender to the will of God? Whatever your plans are, how

can you learn to surrender them to the Lord?

Thur s day

November 27

November 28

Further Study:

Read about the value of time in Ellen G. White, “Talents,”

Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 342–346, and share with your Sabbath

School class the points that impressed you.

“Let no one among you glory any longer against the truth by declar-

ing that this spirit [of discerning the evil motives of others] is a neces-

sary consequence of dealing faithfully with wrongdoers and of standing

in defense of the truth. Such wisdom has many admirers, but it is very

deceptive and harmful. It does not come from above, but is the fruit of

an unregenerated heart. Its originator is Satan himself. Let no accuser

of others credit himself with discernment; for in so doing he clothes

the attributes of Satan with the garments of righteousness.”—Ellen G.

White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 936, 937.

“He who is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect wrong. By con-

demning another he is trying to conceal or excuse the evil of his own

heart. It was through sin that men gained the knowledge of evil; no

sooner had the first pair sinned than they began to accuse each other;

and this is what human nature will inevitably do when uncontrolled

by the grace of Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount

of Blessing, p. 126.

Discussion Questions:

 Look at the last Ellen G. White statement above. How can we

protect ourselves against doing the same thing: judging and accus-

ing others so that we try to feel better about ourselves and our own

shortcomings?

 Dwell on the fact of just how fast life goes by. What should that

tell us about what our priorities should be? Though we’re told by

the special theory of relativity that time itself varies depending

upon how fast we are moving in a frame of reference, one thing is

certain: no matter how fast, or slowly, time goes by, once a moment

is gone, it is gone forever. How should this sobering thought impact

what we do with our time?

 How do we deal with those whose sins need to be dealt with and

yet not fall into the trap that James has warned us about?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Not-So-Smart Solomon

Wises Up

D R

As a teenager, Solomon was not so smart. He let his peers influence

his decisions and began smoking and taking drugs. He experimented

with every drug he could get, and often he grew weak because he was

not eating. Drugs were all he cared for.

Solomon and his friends were always together, smoking and taking

drugs. They formed a gang and often fought with other teens. Once

when he was high on drugs he picked up a machete, ready to strike his

father. But a voice shouted to him, “Stop!” and he dropped the machete

as if it were on fire.

“Help me, please!” he cried. His family took him to a mental hospital

for treatment. But the hospital kept him for only a few days.

Solomon’s grandmother prayed for him constantly and encouraged

him to attend church with her and let God heal him. Solomon went, and

there he felt God’s love calling him. But he continued taking drugs for

ten more years. Then Solomon’s grandmother and father died. The two

people who had tried to help him were gone. Finally Solomon could run

away from God no longer. He gave up and gave his life to God. It had

taken him years to heed the voice of God.

Solomon did not know which church to attend. He tried several before

he visited a Seventh-day Adventist church. There he watched the pastor

baptize someone, and instantly he knew what he must do. He went to

the pastor and asked for baptism. The pastor reviewed the doctrines with

him and baptized Solomon.

Solomon’s repentance was real. He serves his church and his God with

joy and faithfulness as a deacon and an elder. Several members of his

family have given their hearts to Christ because of his witness.

Recently, he held his own evangelistic series and led seven people to

Jesus.

He is trained as an accountant, but he has chosen simpler work that

puts him in touch with people he can talk to about God. Solomon shares

his faith on the bus, with strangers in the street. “For years I was com-

pelled to take drugs; today I am by God compelled to preach,” he says.

He is eager to redeem the time he has left for God.

D R is a pastor living in Tegulcigalpa, Honduras.

Weep and Howl!

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 5:1–6, Ps. 73:3–19,

1Sam. 25:2–11, Lev. 19:13, Luke 16:19–31, Matt. 5:39.

Memory Text:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart

be also” (Matthew 6:21).

he worldwide popularity of the television show Who Wants to

Be a Millionaire? suggests that many people vicariously enjoy

the rags-to-riches fantasy and probably hope it could happen to

them someday.

But wealth isn’t all that many believe it to be. Studies suggest that

increasing income follows the law of diminishing returns: beyond

allowing people to live comfortably, more possessions do not buy more

happiness. Meaningful relationships, job satisfaction, and a purposeful

life usually make a greater contribution to one’s happiness than does

wealth. The best things are freely given, such as loving words, a smile,

a listening ear, simple kindnesses, acceptance, respect, a sympathetic

touch, and genuine friendship.

Even more precious are the gifts given by God: faith, hope, wis-

dom, patience, love, contentment, and many other blessings that come

through His Spirit’s presence in our lives. The irony is that, while many

Christians would agree with these sentiments, their daily living sug-

gests that selfishness often has the upper hand. As we’ll see this week,

greed is a big mistake, one fraught with horrendous consequences.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 6.

*November 29–December 5

Less o n

November 30

Justice Will Be Done!

Chapter 5 of James begins with a bang: “Come now, you rich, weep

and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!” (James 5:1,

NKJV). No doubt, that would have gotten his readers’ attention.

In James 1:10, 11, he reminded the rich of the impermanence of

wealth. Here, in chapter 5, he urges those who stubbornly hold on

to it to “weep and howl.” It is as if their impending judgment is even

now being poured out. The vivid description continues throughout

our passage for this week, bringing to mind the divine retribution

for the wicked excess that characterizes the period just prior to

Christ’s return (see Luke 17:27–29; 2Tim. 3:1, 2; Rev. 18:3, 7).

A similar attitude permeates God’s last-day church (Rev. 3:17).

Interestingly, the Greek word translated as “miseries” in James 5:1

comes from the same root used to describe Laodicea as “wretched”

in Revelation 3:17.

There

is so much injustice in the world, especially economic injustice.

Sometimes it is so hard to understand why some people get rich

exploiting the poor and, worse, why they seem to get away with it!

Read Psalm 73:3–19. What hope is found in these verses regarding

this perennial problem?

________________________________________________________

Throughout the books of the Old Testament prophets, we find a con-

cern for justice and the promise that God will act to set things right.

But this persistent and settled sense of hope did not seem to make the

uncomfortable and perplexing period of waiting for God’s interven-

tion any easier. For instance, writing at a time of widespread apostasy

among God’s people, when Babylon, swelling with pride, celebrated

its power and prosperity, the prophet Habakkuk peppered God with

pointed questions (see Hab. 1:2–4, 13, 14). God’s short answer was to

trust in Him and wait a little longer (Hab. 2:2–4). And the prophet did

just that (see Hab. 3:17, 18).

What injustices cause you to simmer and burn inside with anger

and outrage? (And there is so much more going on that you don’t

even know about!) Though, of course, we should do what we can

to alleviate injustice, how can we learn to rest in the promise that,

somehow, when it’s all over, God’s justice will be done?

sunday

December 1

When Wealth Becomes Worthless

Read

James 5:2, 3. What warning is James giving here? Though his

words are quite strong, what kind of wealth is he talking about?

What’s the basic message?

________________________________________________________

Rotting wealth, moth-eaten clothing, and even silver and gold rust-

ing—these are images for us to consider soberly as our planet spins

blissfully on, faster and faster toward its demise.

The world’s economic situation always seems to be going from one

crisis to another; even the “good” times, when they come, rarely last

and are always followed by a downturn. Any semblance of economic

stability and tranquility that the global marketplace might offer is

fleeting and largely imaginary. Discontent and instability grows as the

disparity between rich and poor widens. Such was the situation when

James wrote that the poor were growing increasingly desperate and the

rich more intolerant of the plight of the destitute.

Consider

the following individuals and describe the effect wealth

(or the lack of it) had on them:

1. Nabal (1Sam. 25:2–11) _________________________________

2. Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12–19) ____________________________

3. Peter (Acts 3:1–10) ____________________________________

Sooner or later, worldly wealth loses its luster for all of us. We learn

its limitations and maybe even its dark side. Money has its place; the

problem is when people put it in the wrong place.

James says money will be “a witness against” those who misuse it (James

5:3). Though he gives this warning in an end-time context, the point should

be clear: how we use our money matters. The image of flesh-consuming

fire is meant to wake us up to the seriousness of the choices we are making

with our money. Are we heaping up treasure that will ultimately be burned

up, or are we saving for eternity? (See Luke 12:33, 34.)

Think carefully about your attitude toward money and how it affects

your relationships. What does this say about how you are using it?

Monday

Cries of the Poor

Reading through James, we may notice that several different cat-

egories of wealthy people are mentioned, including rich merchants

who will be cut down in the midst of their pursuits (James 1:11),

business people who sue to protect their investments (James 2:6), and

agricultural landholders who have withheld wages from their laborers

(James 5:4). These verses describe the rich negatively based on their

past behavior, present attitude, and future punishment. These people

have essentially “heaped up treasure” (vs. 3, NKJV) at the expense of

the poor.

“Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and

which has been withheld by you, cries out” (vs. 4, NASB). Compare

Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15; Jer. 22:13. What important principle

is seen here, not just in the immediate contexts but in general in

regard to how we deal with others?

________________________________________________________

In Israel in Bible times, as soon as wages were paid, many, if not

most, of the workers used these earnings to buy food to feed their fami-

lies. Withholding wages often meant the family had to go hungry. Thus,

it was a serious matter that James was addressing here.

No wonder, then, that James spoke so strongly against those who

held back wages from those who worked for them. It’s bad enough

to defraud anyone of anything, but for someone already rich to hoard

wealth by stealing from the poor is a sin, not just against the poor but

a sin against heaven itself. And, as James writes, it will be dealt with

in due time!

“Riches bring with them great responsibilities. To obtain wealth by

unjust dealing, by overreaching in trade, by oppressing the widow and

the fatherless, or by hoarding up riches and neglecting the wants of

the needy, will eventually bring the just retribution described by the

inspired apostle: ‘Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your

miseries that shall come upon you.’”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for

the Church, vol. 2, p. 682.

What are your dealings with others when it comes to money?

What do those dealings say about your Christianity and about

how much you reflect the character of Christ?

Tues day

December 2

December 3

Fat and Happy (for Now)

“You have lived on the earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You

have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” (James 5:5, ESV;

compare Ezek. 16:49, Amos 4:1). What do these passages link to

luxurious indulgence?

________________________________________________________

In the ancient world, the notion prevailed that there was a fixed

amount of wealth, meaning that if the wealth of some people increased,

the wealth of others had to decrease. In other words, the rich can get

richer only by making the poor poorer. “Creating” wealth without

adversely affecting the wealth of others, however, seems to be a rela-

tively modern idea. Some even argue that, as the rich get richer, they

can help make the poor richer too. On the other hand, considering the

competition among developed and developing nations for increasingly

scarcer resources, the limitations of wealth creation can seem more

pressing. Hence, the issue of wealth inequality still rages today.

One of the most famous stories of Jesus dealing with issues of

inequality is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19–

31). At the time of Jesus, most people were lucky to have two garments

instead of just one and happy if they feasted once a year. By contrast,

the rich man in the story “was clothed in purple and fine linen” (the

most expensive kind of garments) “and who feasted sumptuously every

day” (vs. 19, ESV). Poor Lazarus, despite being carried to the gate of

the rich man’s house, had to beg for the few crumbs he received.

Contrary to popular opinion, the real focus of the parable is this

life, not the afterlife. In fact, the original Greek makes no mention of

“heaven” and “hell” at all. Both the rich man and Lazarus are depicted

in the same place (vs. 23)—the grave (had

es). The chasm separating

them symbolizes the fact that after a person dies, his or her eternal des-

tiny is fixed. Therefore, how we treat people in this life (as described in

“Moses and the prophets,” vss. 29, 31, NKJV) is extremely important.

There is no future life in which we can make up for what we failed to

do in this one: “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen,

how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20, NKJV).

What regretful things have you done that, though you might be

able to “make up” for now, you won’t be able to make up for

them later?

Wedn e sday

Blame the Victim

When someone has done wrong, the natural tendency is to try to

escape responsibility. Often people try to do this by transferring the

responsibility to someone else—including the person who has been

wronged. Murderers excuse themselves by pleading self-defense or

blaming their upbringing. By saying they were enticed, sexual abus-

ers blame the victim. Husbands and wives who get divorced typically

blame the other for the failed marriage. Those guilty of killing the

martyrs of the Christian faith blamed the martyrs by accusing them of

heresy. Indeed, Jesus warned His disciples that “‘the time is coming

that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service’ ” (John

16:2, NKJV). In fact, we believe that James, too, was killed for his faith.

In light of this, the words in James 5:6 carry even more weight:

“Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist

you.” How many times have you condemned others only to realize

later that you were really the one who was wrong? Think especially

about the last phrase of this verse. Does this mean that we should

just let people walk all over us? On the other hand, how many

quarrels have you had that would never have happened if you had

put up no resistance? What does Jesus mean by “turning the other

cheek” (Matt. 5:39)? How are we on a practical level to do this (or

is the problem that we want to be “practical” about something that,

in and of itself, isn’t really supposed to be practical)?

________________________________________________________

As we have seen, James has quite a bit to say about the rich and the

poor. It should be kept in mind, though, that James never condemns

the rich simply because they are rich. It is their attitudes and actions

that matter to God. Similarly, the bare fact of being economically poor

does not in itself endear a person to God. It is the “poor in spirit ” and

“rich in faith” who will be “heirs of the kingdom” (Matt. 5:3, James

2:5, NKJV). These inner qualities may have no relation to our par-

ticular economic circumstances. But then again, they may. Those who

are “rich, and increased with goods” (Rev. 3:17) may be more needy

spiritually than they think. God warned Israel to beware lest after they

entered the land and became prosperous they should forget that all the

good things they enjoyed came from Him, including the “power to get

wealth” (Deut. 8:11–18).

Thur s day

December 4

December 5

Further Study:

“Money has great value, because it can do great good.

In the hands of God’s children it is food for the hungry, drink for the

thirsty, and clothing for the naked. It is a defense for the oppressed, and

a means of help to the sick. But money is of no more value than sand,

only as it is put to use in providing for the necessities of life, in blessing

others, and advancing the cause of Christ.

“Hoarded wealth is not merely useless, it is a curse. In this life it

is a snare to the soul, drawing the affections away from the heavenly

treasure....

“He who realizes that his money is a talent from God will use it eco-

nomically, and will feel it a duty to save that he may give.”—Ellen G.

White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 351, 352.

Discussion Questions:

 Consider the following statements: “The rich rules over the

poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Prov. 22:7, ESV).

“Many poor families are poor because they spend their money as

soon as they receive it....

“When one becomes involved in debt, he is in one of Satan’s

nets, which he sets for souls.”—Ellen G. White, The Adventist

Home, p. 392. Is helping people to get out of debt or to avoid get-

ting into debt a part of “preach[ing] the gospel to the poor”? (Luke

4:18). Why, or why not?

 How do we really know whether money serves us or we serve

it? See Luke 16:10–13.

 Economic disparity is everywhere. Some people have two,

three, even four or more luxurious homes while others are happy

to scrounge up a few pieces of wood and cobble them into a shelter.

And what about those who have become obese by stuffing them-

selves while there are children all over the world going to bed hun-

gry? Some argue that by taking from the rich we can give more

to the poor. Others argue that as the rich get richer, they can help

lift the poor out of poverty. How do we work, as Christians, to help

alleviate the problem of extreme poverty? What things should we

do to help, and what things shouldn’t we do?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Trail of Death: Part 1

J S

Joel Sandoval grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist home, but his life was

not transformed by God’s grace. As a teen, he resented the restrictions that the

church represented. At age 15 he dropped out of church and joined a gang. He

quickly became involved in organized crime, drugs, and spiritism. He had his

body tattooed with symbols of the devil and began smoking marijuana. Soon he

moved to hard drugs, such as cocaine.

Joel’s parents allowed him to live at home, hoping that he would see the error

of his ways. But when he was high on drugs, he often destroyed things in the

house and terrified his mother. When the drugs wore off, Joel became depressed.

One time he even tried to commit suicide. In spite of his parents’ constant

prayers and offers of help, Joel was convinced that no one loved him.

He made fun of his parents and others who invited him to church. Joel hated

them for what they stood for; he hated the church; he hated God. In spite of his

abuse, his parents and church members continued to pray for him and remind

him of God’s unfailing love. His mother was convinced that someday he would

return to God and the church.

One night Joel was supposed to join his gang in a battle with another gang. A

voice seemed to warn him not to go out that night. He remained home. Later he

learned that his best friend had been killed during the fight. Joel realized that the

warning voice he had heard was the voice of God. It had saved his life.

As he thought about the past few months, Joel realized that God had been

speaking to him, telling him that the life he was leading was wrong. He began to

cry, for he saw no way out of his drug-infested life. He began attending church

again, but when members welcomed him, he thought they were staring at him.

He felt like an outsider and stopped attending.

Joel decided to leave the country. When he told his mother, she cried. Before

he left she pressed a small book into his hand. “Please, take this,” she begged.

It was a New Testament. And in spite of his feelings about religion, Joel asked

her to pray for him.

Joel and five other young men left Honduras, heading for Mexico. They

passed through Guatemala and crossed into Mexico. But early one morning they

found themselves surrounded by an angry mob who were brandishing knives

and guns. The youths realized that these men intended to kill them. The previ-

ous day someone had stolen merchandise from a local business, and the mob

was convinced that the six youths were the thieves. Spewing death threats, the

locals locked the youths in a house, then circled the house with their guns and

knives in hand.

Frightened, the boys watched as the locals prepared a noose to hang them.

Some swore; others sobbed. Joel thought about how he had disappointed his

family and God. He pulled out the New Testament that his mother had given

him and began reading.

(continued)

Getting Ready for the

Harvest

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 5:7–12, Rom. 13:11,

1Cor. 3:13, Luke 7:39–50, Col. 4:6.

Memory Text:

“You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the com-

ing of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8, NKJV).

n Greco-Roman times (as in some places still today), a flurry of

activity preceded the coming of a visiting dignitary. Streets were

cleared, shop windows cleaned, flowers planted, and crime pre-

vention increased. Every effort was directed at making sure the place

looked perfect when the official arrived.

The Greek word parousia, which is used throughout the New

Testament for Christ’s “coming,” as well as in James 5:7, 8, is a techni-

cal expression for the arrival of a king or dignitary. If such preparations

preceded the arrival of earthly rulers, should we not make every effort to

make our hearts ready for the coming of our Lord and Savior?

But how do we make such a preparation when we do not know “of

that day or hour” (Matt. 24:36)? What does it mean to be “patient” and

to “establish” our hearts? How does this relate to the idea of the “early

and latter rain” (James 5:7)? Though in the texts for this week the con-

text appears to be the end of time, the basic message is so relevant to

believers at any time. Throughout our history and even in our own lives

now, we face trials and suffering that call for us to stand firm in the

faith, as did the prophets of old.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 13.

*December 6–12

Less o n

December 7

Waiting for “Rain”

Farmers are directly dependent on the weather for their livelihood. If

the weather is too dry or too wet, too cold or too hot, their produce will be

adversely affected. In drier countries, such as Israel, the margin of safety

is even less, and the importance of plentiful rain at the proper times is

significantly greater. Whether grown on a small family farm or a large

estate, the crop and its subsequent value are directly dependent on rain.

The early rain, which generally falls in October and November,

moistens the ground and prepares it for planting and germination. The

latter rain, around March or April, ripens the crops for harvest.

Read

James 5:7. Compare Deut. 11:14, Jer. 5:24, 14:22, Joel 2:23. What

point do the Old Testament passages make about the rain? Why do

you think James uses this image in connection with the coming of

the Lord? See also Hos. 6:1–3; Joel 2:28, 29.

________________________________________________________

“Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in

Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold

the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s

church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was

the beginning of the early, or former rain, and glorious was the re-

sult. ... But near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowal of

spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the

Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of

the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send

their petitions to the Lord of the harvest ‘in the time of the latter rain.’”

—Ellen G. White, Our Father Cares, p. 212.

Jesus refers to the “harvest” at “the end of the world” (Matt. 13:39).

Mark 4:26–29 presents a very similar picture to that of James 5:7. The

farmer waits for the grain to ripen: “‘first the blade, then the ear, then

the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the

sickle, because the harvest has come’” (Mark 4:28, 29, ESV). Only at

harvesttime is it possible to distinguish the wheat from the tares (Matt.

13:28–30; compare Mal. 3:17, 18).

What should the fact that we can distinguish the wheat from the

tares only at harvesttime tell us about how we must live out our

faith now, before the harvest?

sunday

December 8

How Near Is “Near”?

James 5:8 affirms that Christ’s coming is “at hand” or “near.” But,

after nearly two thousand years, how are we to understand this promise?

Jesus described the coming kingdom (Matt. 4:17, 10:7, 24:33) by

means of parables to teach the unfamiliar “heavenly things” in terms

that are understandable. A close study of these parables reveals that

the kingdom has two aspects: a present, spiritual reality and a glorious

reality still to come. All the apostles fixed their hope in the imminent

coming of Jesus (Rom. 13:11, Heb. 10:25, James 5:9), but they never

identify exactly when that would be. Like us, they wanted to know

when, but Jesus explained that this information was not best for them

to know (Acts 1:6, 7). After all, how zealous would they be in sharing

the gospel with the world had they known that the work would not be

finished for almost two thousand years—and counting?

What

does James mean when he says “establish your hearts” (James 5:8,

NKJV), and why do you think the awaited fruit is called “precious”

(timios; vs. 7)? See 1Thess. 3:13, 2Thess. 3:3, 1Pet. 1:19, 1Cor. 3:12.

________________________________________________________

The word establish (st

eriz

o) means to “fix firmly” or “strengthen.”

Our hearts are to be so wedded to the Lord that they cannot be moved

despite the pressures brought against them. Becoming settled in the

truth (2 Pet. 1:12), withstanding temptation, and enduring trials and

suffering for our faith (Acts 14:22) all contribute to this work.

Spiritual growth is a process that is not always easy but that bears

“precious fruit.” Believers, redeemed by “the precious [timios] blood

of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:19, NKJV), are of infinite value to the heavenly

“Farmer.” The word timios is also used to describe the “precious stones”

that symbolize believers who are “built” on Christ, the “foundation”

stone of God’s spiritual temple, the church (1Cor. 3:11, 12). Paul likens

unstable believers, on the other hand, to wood, hay, and straw that will

not last and will ultimately be consumed by fire when Christ comes

(1Cor. 3:12–15). It is important, therefore, to ask ourselves on a regu-

lar basis whether our energies are really directed toward what we value

most, toward what and who is most precious to us!

“Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it,

because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s

work, of what sort it is” (1Cor. 3:13, NKJV). Look at your life.

What sort of work is it?

Monday

Grumbling, Groaning, and Growing

When is the Second Coming? Why are we still here? It’s not sur-

prising that now, in the twenty-first century, we have doubters and

scoffers. In the history of the church, this is nothing new. The most

dangerous threats to Israel throughout its history came not from their

enemies but from within their own ranks and from within their own

hearts. Likewise, as the coming of the Lord approaches, “we have far

more to fear from within than from without. . . . The unbelief indulged,

the doubts expressed, the darkness cherished, encourage the presence

of evil angels, and open the way for the accomplishment of Satan’s

devices.”—Ellen G. White, Last Day Events, p. 156.

Therefore

James 5:9 warns us, “Grudge not one against another,

brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before

the door.” What grudges or grumbles against others, or even against

the church, have you had (and maybe at times with good cause

too)? The question is, How have you handled them? With meekness,

humility, and forgiveness, as you have been forgiven by God (see Luke

7:39–50), or by worldly standards? Be honest with yourself!

________________________________________________________

From what we have read earlier in this epistle, it seems that there

were serious challenges among the believers, including favoritism

(James 2:1, 9), evil surmising (vs. 4), evil speaking toward one another

(3:10, 4:11), envy (3:14), quarrels (4:1), and worldliness (vss. 4, 13,

14). Consistently, James directs us to deep solutions to these problems:

faith (James 1:3, 6), “the implanted word” (vs. 21, NKJV), beholding

“the law of liberty” (James 1:25, 2:12, NKJV), single-mindedness and

godly wisdom (James 3:13, 17), grace (James 4:6), and clean hands

and a pure heart (vs. 8). He also insists that there be outward expres-

sions of God’s inward workings (James 2:14–26), including visiting the

afflicted and forgotten (James 1:27), showing mercy (James 2:13), and

sowing peace rather than discord (James 3:18).

Ultimately, we are accountable to God; the One to whom we must

give account is the Lord who is the Judge and who will give to everyone

according to his or her work.

As we wait for the Lord’s return, what are positive ways you can

encourage and uplift others? Why is it important that you do so?

Tues day

December 9

December 10

Models of Patient Endurance

Read

James 5:10, 11. What do Job and the prophets have in common?

Why do you think these examples are highlighted? What personal

lessons can we take away from these stories for ourselves amid our

own trials?

________________________________________________________

The prophets of Israel were faithful in preaching the Word of the

Lord without altering or compromising it. Hebrews, in extolling the

prophets’ fidelity to God, paints a clear picture: they “stopped the

mouths of lions [Daniel], quenched the violence of fire [Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego], escaped the edge of the sword [Elijah and

Elisha],... had ... imprisonment [Jeremiah and Micaiah],...stoned

[Zechariah, son of Jehoiada],... sawn asunder [Isaiah], ... [and] slain

with the sword [see 1 Kings 19:10] ” (Heb. 11:33–37). Of course, Job’s

sufferings are also proverbial, as is the patience he exemplified despite

derision by his own wife and the censure of those who came to com-

miserate with him. What set these heroes of faith and many others apart

from the normal or average follower of God? James mentions several

qualities: patience, endurance, and, above all, hope and trust in God.

One of the attributes is “patience” (makrothymias), also translated as

“longsuffering” or “forbearance.” It refers to the capacity to stand up

under difficult circumstances and trials, to weather whatever life (or the

devil!) throws at us. The prophets endured all their suffering for the Word

of God patiently (James 5:10). This word is used frequently in the New

Testament, including in a reference to Abraham waiting “patiently” dur-

ing his many years of sojourning for God to fulfill His promise to give

him a son (Heb. 6:12, 15). It also describes Jesus bearing up patiently

through all His sufferings and death on the cross (2 Pet. 3:15).

Endurance (hypomon

e), on the other hand, focuses on the end goal of

this process, looking forward to the finish line. Job is put forward as the

epitome of this quality. Despite all he suffered, Job looked steadfastly

toward the final vindication he expected to receive (Job 14:13–15,

19:23–27).

What are you struggling with now? What have you prayed for

that has not yet come? How often have you even felt a sense of

hopelessness? Think through the trials of some of the Bible char-

acters listed above (or others); imagine how helpless they must

have felt at times. What can you draw from their suffering that

could help you work through your own?

Wedn e sday

Transparent as the Sunlight

Read James 5:12. Commentators have puzzled over why James

seems to make such a major issue out of swearing solemn oaths.

Even if the intent were to prohibit all speech of this kind, why

would it seem to be urged as important “above all” that he has spo-

ken about in this chapter or perhaps in the entire letter? Is it really

that big of an issue? We need to keep in mind what we have seen

throughout our study of this epistle: that James is not content with

a superficial faith or form of religion, despite the caricatures of

him that we sometimes hear. James is thoroughly gospel-oriented,

so much so that he sets standards too high for us to reach without

God’s forgiving and empowering grace. Our words reveal what is in

our hearts: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”

(Matt. 12:34, NKJV). The theology of James is permeated with the

thinking of Jesus, who commanded us: “Swear not at all; neither by

heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool:

neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King” (Matt.

5:34, 35). Some people apparently even placed the hairs of their

head in pledge to guarantee their words (vs. 36). But Jesus said all

of this was evil: “ ‘Let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No”’”

(Matt. 5:37, NKJV).

Everything belongs to God, including every hair on our heads (even

if, in some cases, there aren’t many!), so “there is nothing that we

have a right to pledge, as if it were our own, for the fulfillment of

our word....

“Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sun-

light. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is

of Satan.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

pp. 66, 68. Clearly, Christ was not prohibiting judicial oaths because

He Himself, when placed under oath by the high priest, did not refuse

to answer, nor did He even condemn the process despite numerous

deviations from sound jurisprudence (Matt. 26:63, 64).

Several things need to be kept in mind when speaking the truth, first

and foremost being that we seldom even know all the truth, even about

ourselves, and so we must be humble. Second, when we do speak the

truth, it should always be spoken in love and for the edification of those

who hear.

Read Ephesians 4:15, 29 and Colossians 4:6. Dwell prayerfully

on the powerful message of these texts. Think how different (and

better!) your life would be were you, through God’s grace, to

strictly follow these admonitions.

______________________________________________________

Thur s day

December 11

December 12

Further Study:

Read about the experiences of Elijah and Job in times

of testing and their significance for us in the last days in Ellen G. White,

“From Jezreel to Horeb,” pp. 155–166; “‘What Doest Thou Here?’” pp.

167–176; “‘In the Spirit and Power of Elias,’” pp. 177–189, in Prophets

and Kings.

“To wait patiently, to trust when everything looks dark, is the les-

son that the leaders in God’s work need to learn. Heaven will not fail

them in their day of adversity. Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet

really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies

wholly on God....

“Trials will come, but go forward. This will strengthen your faith and

fit you for service. The records of sacred history are written, not merely

that we may read and wonder, but that the same faith which wrought in

God’s servants of old may work in us.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and

Kings, pp. 174, 175.

Discussion Questions:

 We all know the parable about the wheat and the tares growing

together until the harvest (Matthew 13). But what does that mean

in terms of church discipline? What does that mean in terms of

dealing with outright rebellion or apostasy in our ranks? Are we

just to sit by and do nothing, saying that it will all be taken care of

when the Lord returns? Obviously not. How—in light of this par-

able, but also in light of examples in which discipline was needed

in the early church, such as in Corinthians and Galatians—are we

to deal with the tares, especially those whose sole purpose seems

to be choking the wheat and nothing else?

 Temptations and trials come to all of us. What promises from

the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White have been comfort-

ing to you and have helped you to persevere in your faith? What

Bible characters have been most meaningful to you in difficulties

and/or in view of what lies ahead?

 James tells us to “grudge not one against another” (5:9). Ye t ,

people, even other Christians, can do things that bother and annoy

us. How can we learn to love, to forgive, to endure, and to rise

above many of the “petty” things in life that can make us moody,

irritable, and, really, bad witnesses?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

tory

inside

Trail of Death: Part 2

J S

Joel realized it was Sabbath. His parents would be in church, praying for

him. In the midst of the chaos in the house and outside, Joel knelt in a corner

and prayed. He was sure that death was near. He opened the New Testament

to the book of Psalms and began reading. Joel again prayed, “Lord, You

rescued David from his enemies. If you get me out of this situation alive, I

will give my life to You and tell others what You have done for me. Please

save me, God!”

One of the locals saw Joel praying and reading his book. He thought Joel

was performing some sort of witchcraft and became frightened. Meanwhile,

the youth searched for a way to convince their captors that they were not

guilty. One of them remembered the name of the man on whose property

they had slept the night before. He told the guard at the door the man’s name.

“Please find him! He will tell you where we were last night!” Soon the men

returned with the man who verified their story. The youths were set free.

One man told Joel, “We would have killed you hours ago, but when we

saw you kneeling in the corner doing magic, we became afraid.” Joel was

confused. Then he realized that God had used his tears of repentance and his

Bible reading to strike fear in the men’s hearts and eventually set them free.

The youths left the village, but they were later caught by Mexican authori-

ties and returned to the border of Guatemala. When Joel arrived home, he

told his parents what had happened. On the day he was captured, his mother

said she sensed a special need and had prayed in earnest for him.

That night Joel lay awake. He couldn’t believe he had survived. He

remembered other times he should have died but had been rescued. He

knew God had been by his side, even when he rejected God’s influence.

Joel kept his promise to God and returned to church. He shared his tes-

timony with the church and asked for forgiveness. He soon was baptized.

Although he didn’t go back to his gang, he did meet some gang members

from time to time. When they commented on how he had changed, Joel

shared how Christ had saved his life and set him free from drugs, hatred,

and Satan’s hold. Now he leads a small group in his church and serves as a

deacon. He loves to give Bible studies and to share his testimony.

“One thing I wish I could change,” Joel says. “I wish I could take off the

tattoos that mark my body. But when Jesus comes, He will make my body

new and pure and clean. I regret the years I wasted honoring Satan instead of

Christ. I want to spend the rest of my life redeeming that time and influenc-

ing others to turn to Jesus, who saved my life more than once. He turned my

life around, totally around.”

J S lives with his parents in northern Honduras. He works in a clothing

factory and spends his free time sharing his faith with others.

Prayer, Healing, and

Restoration

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

James 5:13–20; 1John 5:14;

1Cor. 15:54; Heb. 12:12, 13; John 8:43–45; Prov. 10:12.

Memory Text:

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray

for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a

righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16, NASB).

eople are fascinated by the miraculous and the magical. They

often are drawn to such things as spectacles or matters of curi-

osity and nothing more. So, when Jesus was asked to perform

a miracle merely for entertainment (Luke 23:8, 9) or as a sign of His

Messiahship (Matt. 12:38–41) or even to satisfy a legitimate need of

His own (Matt. 4:2–4), He refused. The Spirit, by which Jesus taught

authoritatively and effected miraculous healings, is not simply a power

to be used; we are to be instruments in His hands. God would gladly

heal everyone who is sick, but He is interested in a more substantial,

lasting healing.

Thus, in this context, we will look at some crucial questions: How

do we understand the words in James about the healing of the sick?

Is there a relationship between healing and forgiveness in answer to

prayer? Elijah is presented as an important model of prayer in a time of

widespread apostasy. What can we learn from his life of prayer and his

work of calling Israel back to God and true worship?

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 20.

*December 13–19

Less o n

December 14

The Essential Christian Toolkit

Read

James 5:13. What interesting contrast is he presenting here?

How do we apply these admonitions to our own experiences?

________________________________________________________

Though dealing with two different things (suffering, cheerfulness),

James links them with prayer and praise: pray when you are suffering,

praise when you are cheerful. The two practices are not that different

from each other, however, because many biblical psalms of praise are

also prayers, and James begins the epistle urging readers to “consider

it all joy” when falling into various trials, “knowing that the testing of

your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2, 3, NASB). The time to pray

and the time to praise might be more intertwined than we generally

think.

The word for “suffering” in James 5:13 (NASB) is from the same root

as the word used earlier to refer to the suffering of the prophets (vs. 10).

It refers to both physical and mental suffering—“first and foremost for

the danger and toil of war” (Ceslas Spicq, Theological Lexicon of the

New Testament, vol. 2, p. 239), but also to exhausting manual labor

and costly effort. It is used in 2Timothy 2:9 and 4:5, too, to describe

“the hard apostolic labor that is not deterred by any difficulty or suf-

fering.”—Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 240. As

Christians, we instinctively turn to God when trouble comes. Prayer is

especially essential in facing difficulties, but singing or playing sacred

music (the word used, psallet

o, can mean either) is also helpful.

“Singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer. Indeed, many a

song is prayer.”—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 168. How many of us

have been depressed or lonely, only to have the words of a hymn come

to mind and lift our spirits? There are many among us who are suffer-

ing or need encouragement and would be cheered by a visit filled with

prayer and song. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those

who weep” (Rom. 12:15, NKJV). It may lift our spirits, too, as nothing

else can.

The book of Psalms especially is a treasure house of prayers and

songs that can provide inspiration, encouragement, and direction when

we do not know where to turn for help.

We all know how suffering can draw us closer to the Lord and how

it can drive us to prayer. What, though, are the spiritual dangers that

come when things are going well for us? Why, especially in those

times, is praise so important? What does it help us never to forget?

sunday

December 15

Prayer for the Sick

Read

James 5:14, 15. What are the essential elements James prescribes

for anointing the sick, and what important spiritual components are

found in these texts?

________________________________________________________

The fact that the sick person calls for the elders of the church to

come and anoint him or her “with oil in the name of the Lord” and pray

expresses the spiritual desire of the individual and the collective con-

viction that divine intervention is needed for healing (Mark 6:13). The

reference to the forgiveness of sins shows that God will not, by means

of a ritual, restore a person physically who does not also desire spiritual

healing. “To those who desire prayer for their restoration to health, it

should be made plain that the violation of God’s law, either natural or

spiritual, is sin, and that in order for them to receive His blessing, sin

must be confessed and forsaken.”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of

Healing, p. 228.

The request for divine intervention and the summoning of the elders

of the church suggest that the illness is incapacitating and, perhaps,

also too urgent to be done in connection with a regular church gath-

ering. Two different Greek words are used for the sick here: the first

(asthene

o in verse 14) is also used of Dorcas who “became sick and

died” (Acts 9:37, NKJV); the second (kamn

o in verse 15) refers gener-

ally to the patient, but it is also used of those who are dying and, in this

context, seems to mean someone physically worn out or wasting away.

Miraculous healing may happen in answer to “the prayer of faith.” The

desire for healing requires full surrender to God’s will, whatever it is

(1John 5:14). However, the references to “sav[ing]” and “rais[ing]” the

sick (compare “shall save ... from death” in James 5:20) point unmis-

takably to the resurrection as representing the only complete healing,

the time “when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this

mortal shall have put on immortality” (1Cor. 15:54).

Many of us have known about anointing services, or have even

been involved in them, in which the sick are not healed but in fact

die. Why, then, is the hope of the resurrection, implied in these

texts, our only surety?

Monday

Healing for the Soul

More important than the healing of the body is the healing of the

soul. Our purpose is not, after all, to make people healthier sinners

but to point them to the eternal life found in Jesus. Perhaps that is why

the only clear reference to healing in the passage for this week is our

memory text in verse 16, which moves away from the hypothetical situ-

ations dealt with in verses 13–15. The word for healing in this verse

(iaomai) can refer to healing that goes beyond the cure of physical ill-

ness (see, for example, Matt. 13:15). Having already in verse 15 hinted

at a broader understanding of healing (the resurrection), James makes

the connection between illness and sin, the latter being the root cause of

all our problems—not that every illness can be traced back to a particu-

lar sin but that sickness and death are the results of us all being sinners.

Read

Mark 2:1–12 (compare Heb. 12:12, 13; 1 Pet. 2:24, 25). What kind

of healing do these passages describe, and what is the basis of this

healing?

________________________________________________________

Faith in Jesus brings healing from spiritual weakness and sin. In

a sense, every healing Jesus performed was a parable meant to draw

people’s attention to their deeper need of salvation. In the case of the

paralyzed man in Mark 2, spiritual healing was actually the man’s

uppermost concern, which is why Jesus immediately assured him that

his sins were forgiven. Yet, “it was not physical restoration he desired

so much as relief from the burden of sin. If he could see Jesus, and

receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would

be content to live or die, according to God’s will.”—Ellen G. White,

The Desire of Ages, p. 267. While God’s healers today should employ

all available medical means to cure disease, efforts should be made also

to heal the whole person, not just for this life but in view of eternity.

Healing includes the healing of relationships, which is why we are

exhorted, “confess your sins to one another” (James 5:16, NRSV),

meaning those we have wronged (Matt. 18:15, 21, 22). That is, if you

have wronged or offended others, confess to them. Then the blessing of

the Lord will rest upon you because the process of confession involves

a dying to self, and only through that death to self can Christ be formed

within you.

Tues day

December 16

100

December 17

Models of Prayer

Read

James 5:17, 18. What do we learn about prayer from Elijah’s

example? How is it connected with healing, forgiveness, and res-

toration?

________________________________________________________

These verses illustrate the assurance given at the end of James 5:16:

“the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (NASB).

Elijah was a “righteous” man and even translated to heaven, but he was

not superhuman. He had the same passions and feelings that we have. The

fact that God heard his prayer should encourage us that our prayers will

be heard too. James says Elijah “prayed earnestly” that it might not rain (a

detail not mentioned in the Old Testament), petitioning, apparently, for the

fulfillment of Deuteronomy 11:13–17 (alluded to in James 5:18).

Israel’s worship of Baal, the god of storm and lightning, could not go

unchallenged on the basis of this prophecy in Deuteronomy. Though we

do not know how long Elijah prayed before his prayers were answered,

his petitions were based on careful study of, and reflection upon, God’s

Word in light of his present circumstances. It may be that he quoted

Deuteronomy’s prophecy as part of his prayer, just as Daniel’s prayer

for Jerusalem is based on his study of Jeremiah’s prophecy (see Dan.

9:2, 3). Our prayers, too, will be more effective when they spring from

thoughtful consideration of our circumstances in light of God’s Word.

The period of no rain lasting three and a half years (also mentioned in

Luke 4:25) is a significant time of probation in Scripture (like the pro-

phetic period of “half a week,” or three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry

in Daniel 9:27, and the “three and a half times” of apostasy in Christianity

in Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:14). At the end of this period, God used

Elijah to begin a work of revival and reformation to wake up Israel so that

the people would recognize the depths of their apostasy. It was a work

that typified both the work John the Baptist would do for first-century

Israel in order to prepare the way for Christ’s first advent and the work

that God has entrusted to His remnant church today to prepare people for

the Second Advent (see Mal. 4:5, 6; Matt. 11:13, 14).

As a church, we are seeking revival and reformation. But it must

begin in our own lives, with our own selves, on a personal and

daily basis. What choices can only you, yourself, make that will

determine the direction and, ultimately, the destiny of your life?

Wedn e sday

101

Restoration and Forgiveness

God’s Spirit worked through Elijah to restore the relationship

between Israel and Himself. But most of Elijah’s work was not on

Mount Carmel. That was just the beginning! He carried it forward in

small villages and homes and in training future spiritual leaders through

the schools of the prophets to multiply his work of revival and reform.

Read

James 5:19, 20. How does the work described here compare with

the work done by Elijah, John the Baptist, and others? See Luke

1:16, 17; Acts 3:19.

________________________________________________________

Often, we forget the tender and patient work done by Elijah year after

year. John the Baptist’s work, too, focused on leading people back to

the truth, inspiring repentance and baptism one person at a time. Jesus

described His work in very similar terms: leading people out of error

and back to the truth (see John 8:43–45).

This hypothetical situation described in James 5:19, 20 uses a con-

ditional construction in Greek, making clear that apostasy is not defi-

nitely assumed to exist but is probable. Departure from the truth refers

to apostasy not only in doctrine but in lifestyle, for very often the first

leads to the second. Doubts begin to form about our beliefs, leading to

double-minded behavior, and finally to outright apostasy. Turning back

a “sinner from the wandering of his way will save his soul from death”

(James 5:20, literally translated). Summing up all that has gone before,

James appeals for his brothers in the church to do a work similar to that

of Elijah in leading people back to God.

This work requires much patience, sympathy, tenderness, and humil-

ity: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual

should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be

tempted” (Gal. 6:1, NIV). The work of Elijah is to turn hearts toward

God and His people, not to turn them away. Often the person is well

aware of his or her sin and does not need it pointed out. What is needed

more is forgiveness modeled by Jesus and provided by His death.

Saving souls from death is possible only through the “covering” of sins,

by applying the gospel to our lives, and becoming instruments of mercy

(Prov. 10:12).

Think of someone who has really done wrong and knows it too.

What can you do, what can you say, to help draw this person back

toward the Lord?

Thur s day

December 18

102

December 19

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “Prayer for the Sick,” pp. 225–233,

in The Ministry of Healing; “Snares of Satan,” pp. 518–523, in The Great

Controversy.

“Christ ... asks us to become one with Him for the saving of human-

ity. ‘Freely ye have received,’ He says, ‘freely give.’ Matt. 10:8. Sin is

the greatest of all evils, and it is ours to pity and help the sinner. There

are many who err, and who feel their shame and their folly. They are

hungry for words of encouragement. They look upon their mistakes and

errors, until they are driven almost to desperation. These souls we are

not to neglect....

“Speak words of faith and courage that will be as a healing balsam to

the bruised and wounded one.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages,

p. 504.

Discussion Questions:

 Think of a time when you really made a mess of things, hurt-

ing yourself, others, and the Lord by your sin. How much did it

mean to you to have people who, although not condoning your

actions (and who might have generally and rightly been appalled

by them), nevertheless sought to encourage and uplift you? What

do you remember most about those experiences, and how can

those remembrances help you do the same for someone else who

has made big mistakes, as well?

 Read James 5:16 prayerfully and carefully. What important

spiritual lessons are here for us? What does this tell us about the

power of prayer and how important it is for our spiritual lives?

Though prayer can and should be a very private matter, in class

talk about what prayer does for you, how you have seen prayers

answered, and how you have learned to trust the Lord when

prayers aren’t answered as you wish. In the end, what would you

say is the most important practical benefit that comes from “effec-

tual fervent prayer”?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

103

tory

inside

Under Arrest! Part 1

G Z

My pastor was planning to hold evangelistic meetings. He printed

some invitation cards for members to give to their friends to remind

them of the meetings. He urged everyone to invite their families,

friends, and neighbors, and we young people of the church wanted

to be included.

At that time Cuba’s government was more strict about religion than

it is now. People could attend church and worship God, but the gov-

ernment didn’t want churches trying to convert people to their faith.

On Sabbath afternoon, while our parents were in choir practice,

four girls and I decided to give out invitations to the meetings. We

walked a few blocks down a side street, giving invitation cards to

the people we passed or to those who sat on their tiny porches.

Encouraged when the people accepted the cards, we decided to give

out cards in the children’s park a few blocks farther away.

One man sitting on a bench watched us talking to people and giving

them cards. The man called us over to where he was sitting and asked

what we were giving out. I gave him an invitation card and invited

him to come to the meetings. He looked at the card for a minute, then

told us, “It’s against the law to give out religious literature in Cuba.

Where are your parents?”

“They are in church, a few blocks from here,” I answered.

“I am going to have to arrest you,” the man said as he stood up.

Then I noticed that he was wearing a military uniform.

“You can’t arrest us,” I told him. “President Castro said that we have

religious freedom in Cuba.”

“Let’s go to the police office over there,” the man said, pointing

toward a small building on the edge of the park. So we followed the

officer to a small building, where the man made a telephone call. “We’ll

wait here for the police to come and take you to jail,” he told us.

We asked the officer several times to let us talk with our parents,

but the officer didn’t respond. To bolster our courage, we began sing-

ing “Side by side we stand.” As our courage grew, we sang louder, so

the people walking by could hear us.

Then I saw a woman from the church walking by, and I called out to

her. I explained that the officer had arrested us for giving out invita-

tion cards and asked her to please tell our parents back at church what

had happened. The woman returned to the church to tell our parents.

Soon a police officer arrived and took us to a youth detention center.

We began to wonder what would happen to us. Would our parents

find us?

(continued)

104

The Everlasting Gospel

Sabbath afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study:

Heb. 4:2; Ps. 130:3, 4; Luke

15:11–32; Rom. 3:24–26; Heb. 10:1–4; Rev. 14:12.

Memory Text:

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes,

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkind-

ness I have drawn you’ ” (Jeremiah 31:3, NKJV).

n our study of James, we have looked at a number of issues con-

nected with the gospel and made some comparisons with other bib-

lical authors. It is not always easy to understand clearly how what

James says fits with other parts of Scripture, especially when it comes

to something as central as the gospel itself, but as we saw, it does. And

this is very important, too, because the gospel is the foundation of our

last-day commission to preach “the everlasting gospel . . . to every

nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6).

In this our final week, we will focus on basic questions regarding

“the everlasting gospel,” which is salvation by faith, a belief taught all

through the Bible, including in the book of James.

The crucial point to remember is that the Bible does not contradict

itself, especially on something as basic as salvation. By finishing the

quarter with a look at how the gospel appears in the Bible, we can bet-

ter see how James fits this larger picture of God’s plan of redemption.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 27.

*December 20–26

Less o n

105

December 21

The Gospel in the Old Testament

“For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did;

but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those

who heard did not combine it with faith” (Heb. 4:2, NIV).

This verse is startling in its implications. Foremost is that the gos-

pel, not simply “good news” but the good news, was preached in the

Old Testament. Second, it was preached then just as in New Testament

times. There is no hint that there was any difference in the message

itself. The problem, therefore, was not with the message but with the

way it was heard. Today, too, different people can hear the same gospel

message very differently. How crucial, then, that we surrender our-

selves in utter faith to the teaching of the Word so that when the gospel

is preached we hear it correctly.

Look

at the following verses and summarize the gospel message in

each:

Gen. 3:15 ________________________________________________

Exod. 19:4–6 _____________________________________________

Pss. 130:3, 4; 32:1–5 ______________________________________

Isa. 53:4–11 ______________________________________________

Jer. 31:31–34 _____________________________________________

Did you notice a common refrain? God intervenes to save us; He

forgives our sins and puts “enmity” in us toward sin so that we can be

“willing and obedient” (Isa. 1:19). One (Jesus) died for the many, bore

their (our) iniquities, and justifies the undeserving. The new covenant

is different from the old covenant because the law is written in the

heart, and sins are “remember[ed] no more” (Heb. 8:12). In short, for-

giveness and the new birth are a package: justification and sanctifica-

tion represent God’s solution to the sin problem. These passages could

be multiplied, for the message is the same throughout the Bible: despite

our sin, God loves us and has done all that is possible to save us from it.

How can we, as people who believe in the importance of keeping

the law, protect ourselves from the error of believing that law-

keeping is what justifies us? Why is that not always so easy to do?

sunday

106

December 22

The Gospel Made Flesh

Some have a very hard time finding the gospel in the Gospels! The

teachings of Jesus can seem legalistic but only if we fail to hear the rest

of the story. Most people in Israel at the time of Jesus considered them-

selves to be in a good position before God. They supported the temple

by paying the required tax and offering the appropriate sacrifices. They

abstained from unclean food, circumcised their sons, kept the festival

days and the Sabbaths, and generally tried to keep the law as taught

by their religious leaders. Then John came and cried “Repent,” and be

baptized. Furthermore, Jesus said a new birth was needed (John 3:3, 5)

and that “except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of

the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of

heaven” (Matt. 5:20). In other words, Jesus was saying, “You need what

you do not have. Your works are not good enough.”

Read

Luke 15:11–32, 18:9–17. How do these parables illustrate the

gospel?

________________________________________________________

In the parable of the prodigal son, the son is lost and does not know

it. Eventually, he begins to see his father’s love in a new way and longs

to return. His pride is gone. Hoping for acceptance as a servant, he is

astonished to be lavished with honor by his father. The relationship is

not just restored. It is transformed. A similar reversal of expectations

appears in the second parable. The “righteous” Pharisee is ignored by

God, while the “sinful” tax collector is not only accepted but leaves

justified, forgiven, and free from guilt.

Both stories help us to see God more clearly, as a Father and as a

Justifier of the ungodly. When He describes the cup of crushed grapes

as “My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for for-

giveness of sins,” Jesus suffers as the real Passover Lamb, the death

that should have been ours (Matt. 26:28, NASB; compare Mark 10:45).

Thus, salvation is free to us because He, Jesus, paid the full price for it.

What hope can you take from each of these parables for yourself?

In what ways can you relate to some of the people in them, and

what should your answer tell you about what you might need to

change in your spiritual life?

Monday

107

The Gospel in Paul

Like many of his countrymen, Paul thought he was in good spiritual

standing. But then he saw Jesus as “the Son of God, who loved me, and

gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20, NASB). Suddenly, he saw himself

not saved but lost; not God’s servant but God’s enemy; not righteous

but the chief of sinners. The scales fell from his eyes, in other words,

in his reading of the Old Testament. God’s revelation, to him personally

and through the Scriptures, transformed his heart and changed his life

forever. We will not understand Paul’s epistles until we recognize these

basic facts, which produced them.

Read

2 Corinthians 3:14–16 in this light and then verses 2–6. What

does Paul identify here as the crucial step?

________________________________________________________

The meaning of the old covenant becomes clear only “when one

turns to the Lord” (vs. 16, ESV). Jesus is the way to salvation. It all

begins and ends in Him. Israel—by trusting in their own obedience,

as Paul did before his conversion—experienced the old covenant as

a minister of death. Why? Because “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23),

including the people of Israel, and so the commandments could only

condemn them (2 Cor. 3:7). By contrast, believers in Corinth were

“a letter of Christ ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the

living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts”

(vs. 3, NASB).

Read

Romans 1:16, 17; 3:24–26. How does Paul define the gospel?

What do we receive through Christ by faith?

________________________________________________________

The gospel is the power of God to save all who believe. Righteousness

is based not on what we do but on what Christ has done for us, which

we claim by faith. It is a belief that grows “from faith to faith” (Rom.

1:17). What Paul means by this is unpacked in the rest of Romans, the

heart of which is found at the end of chapter 3. Through Christ we have

redemption (God has bought us back by paying for our sins), justifica-

tion (we are cleared of guilt and cleansed by grace), and forgiveness

(God accepts us back and “forgets” our past sins). Amazingly, God,

through the sacrifice of Christ, proves Himself to be just in justifying

the ungodly who have put their faith in Jesus.

Tues day

December 23

108

December 24

The “New” Covenant

The book of Hebrews describes the new covenant as “better” than the

old covenant (Heb. 8:1, 2, 6, NRSV). The obvious question, then, is Why

did God establish the old covenant if it was faulty? The problem, how-

ever, was not with the covenant but with the response of the people to it.

Read

Hebrews 7:19, 8:9, 10:1–4. What problems with the old covenant

are mentioned?

________________________________________________________

The people “did not remain faithful” to the covenant (Heb. 8:9, NIV)

but were disobedient and rebellious. This, together with the fact that the

animal sacrifices of the old covenant could never take away sins (Heb.

10:4), meant that the sin problem remained. Only “the offering of the

body of Jesus Christ once for all” could atone for sins, including those

committed under the old covenant (Heb. 10:10, NKJV; 9:15). And that

was because “the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better

hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Heb. 7:19) through the

promise of the new covenant.

In one sense, the new covenant is not new at all because—since the

promise in Eden of the Seed who would bruise the serpent’s head—the

plan of salvation has always been predicated on the death of Christ, “the

Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8; see also Jer.

32:40; Heb. 13:20, 21; John 13:34).

“The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of

God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant.”

—Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 77.

On the other hand, as we saw with Paul, something special happens

when we turn to the Lord. God promised, in connection with the ever-

lasting covenant, “I will put into their hearts reverence for Me, so that

they do not turn away from Me” (Jer. 32:40, NJPS). Without faith, bring-

ing animal sacrifices was almost like making payment for sins. Gazing

at Jesus instead, who “endured the cross, despising the shame,” and

“who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself ” (Heb. 12:2,

3, NKJV), reveals the immeasurable cost of sin and the good news that

the cost has been paid by Someone else “through the blood of the ever-

lasting covenant” (13:20, NKJV). This “new” covenant transforms how

we look at everything, such as the commandment to love one another.

It’s not really new (Lev. 19:18), except in that we are not just to love our

neighbor as ourselves, but “as I [Jesus] have loved you” (John 13:34).

How can we ever learn to love others as Jesus has loved us?

Wedn e sday

109

The Climax of the Gospel

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is

about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached

to His servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:7, NASB).

Significantly, Revelation 10:7 is the only other verse in Revelation

(besides Revelation 14:6) that specifically refers to preaching the

gospel (the Greek word translated “preached” is euangeliz

o, “to pro-

claim good news”). These two chapters are special for Seventh-day

Adventists, because we find our calling and commission described in

them. In other words, God has specifically commissioned us, in a way

He has no other group, to proclaim the “everlasting gospel.”

As we have seen, the gospel is the same from Genesis to Revelation.

The law is the same. The covenant is the same. Jesus, Paul, and James

all affirm that the gospel is the same one believed by Abraham (John

8:56, Rom. 4:13, James 2:21–23). Some have difficulty with this asser-

tion only because they define the gospel more narrowly than Scripture.

Abraham’s obedient faith, however, originated through his foreseeing

Jesus’ sacrifice. We do not need to balance faith with works in order to

be saved. Faith alone is sufficient, but it must not be an intellectual faith

as the devils have, nor a presumptuous faith that claims the promises of

God without complying with the conditions of salvation; rather, it must

be a faith that works.

Why

are the references in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12 to

keeping the commandments, and to the testimony and faith of

Jesus, significant in the context of the everlasting gospel?

________________________________________________________

The decisive issue at the end of time is: Whom will we worship

and obey? The God who “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and

the fountains of waters” (Rev. 14:7)? Or the beast and his image?

Obedience to the commandments (including the Sabbath) through the

faith of Jesus signifies those who remain faithful to the end. True reli-

gion demands both faith and obedience.

“Though often in the midst of reproach and persecution, a constant

testimony has been borne to the perpetuity of the law of God and the

sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath.

“These truths, as presented in Revelation 14 in connection with ‘the

everlasting gospel,’ will distinguish the church of Christ at the time of

His appearing. For as the result of the threefold message it is announced:

‘Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of

Jesus.’”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 453, 454.

Thur s day

December 25

110

December 26

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Loud Cry,” pp. 198–202,

in Last Day Events.

“We need to come up to a higher standard, to go forward and claim

our exalted privileges. We should walk humbly with God, make no

proud boasts of perfection of character, but in simple faith claim every

promise in the word of God; for they are for the obedient, not for the

transgressors of God’s law. We are simply to believe the testimony of

God, and have entire dependence on him, and all possibility of self-

glory or pride will be removed. We are indeed saved by faith, not by

a passive faith, but by the faith which works by love, and purifies the

soul. The hand of Christ can reach the veriest sinner, and bring him

back from transgression to obedience; but no Christianity is so lofty

that it can soar above the requirements of God’s holy law. This would

be beyond Christ’s power to help, it would be outside of his teachings

and his example; for he says, ‘I have kept my Father’s commandments,

and abide in his love,’ and all who follow Christ will render obedience

to God’s holy law.”—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times

, March 31,

1890.

Discussion Questions:

 Discuss the various gospel emphases in the teachings of Jesus,

James, and Paul, including similarities and differences between

them. How, by placing them together and seeing the whole picture,

can we protect ourselves from falling into either legalism or a

cheap grace?

 When feeling discouraged about your spiritual state, what

gospel promises can you claim to help keep you from discourage-

ment? Why, even in the darkest times, must you never give up, and

why is the promise of Christ’s righteousness as a gift to undeserv-

ing sinners the key to protecting you from giving up?

 The three angels’ messages connect Creation very closely to

Redemption and salvation. So does John 1:1–14. Why are these

two topics so closely related? How does this close connection help

explain why the Sabbath is such a central component of God’s

law? How does this close tie help us understand the centrality of

the Sabbath in the final conflict of the last days?

Friday

Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Web site: www.AdventistMission.org

111

tory

inside

Under Arrest! Part 2

G Z

At the detention center, we were searched, and police took our

remaining invitations. Then the police officer took our names and

addresses, and the names of the schools we attended. He hinted that

our arrest would be reported to our school and could end our chances

to attend college one day.

Meanwhile, the woman returned to the church and told the members

what had happened. The choir practice immediately became a prayer

meeting as the believers sought God’s protection for us.

My mother and the pastor went to the park and tried to find us, but

no one knew where we had been taken. Then they went to the central

police station and demanded to know where we were. At first, the

police said they didn’t know, but the pastor insisted that the police find

us immediately. After a few phone calls, the officer told them that we

were in the juvenile center a mile away.

Inside the room at the juvenile center some of the girls began to cry.

We had been kept locked up for several hours without food or water.

It was almost sunset, and so we started singing, and our courage grew.

Then, from down the hall, I heard my mother’s voice arguing with the

officer who had arrested us.

After several minutes, another police officer came in and told us we

were free to go. But when we asked for the invitation cards, the police

said we couldn’t have them.

As we started walking toward the church, I stopped and pulled some

invitation cards out of my sock, where I had quickly hidden them. I

explained to my mother and friends that when the police weren’t look-

ing, I put invitations on the desks at the police station.

Everyone laughed, and on the way back to the church we gave out

the remaining cards.

When we arrived back at the church, we were surprised at how many

members had gathered to pray for us. Everyone listened as we told

them what had happened. Then the group prayed once more, thank-

ing God for keeping us safe. We especially prayed for the officer who

arrested us and the police who guarded us, that God would direct them

to come to the church and hear His message of freedom in Christ.

G Z was a senior in high school at the time of this writing. He would

like to study engineering and help build churches in Cuba.

112

2015

Bible Study Guide for the First Quarter

While many books of the Bible are filled with deep spiritual and

theological truths, the book of Proverbs is filled with practical advice

for daily living. Brief, well balanced, poetic, and often humorous, the

Proverbs are universal, easy to memorize, and make their points well,

sometimes even more efficiently than do eloquent speeches and rigor-

ous argumentation.

From our first quarter 2015 study guide entitled Proverbs, by Jacques

Doukhan, we will learn how to be wise in practical ways. Proverbs

answers questions such as, What should I teach my children, and how?

How can I be happy and successful? Why do I have money problems?

How can I get a promotion in my job? How can I resist sexual tempta-

tions? How should I cope with my anger or my tongue?

Proverbs is deep and rich, and it deals with many topics. However,

given the limitations of space, we have had to pick and choose which

material we could cover. We can’t cover it all, but all that we have is,

indeed, worthy of our prayerful study.

Lesson 1

—The Call of Wisdom

The Week at a Glance:

S: The Beginning of Wisdom (Prov. 1:7)

M: True Education (Prov. 1:8–19)

T: The Call of Wisdom (Prov. 1:20, 21)

W: The Benefit of Wisdom (Prov. 2:6–9)

T: Do Not Forget (Prov. 3:13–18)

Memory Text—

Proverbs 1:7, NKJV

Sabbath Gem:

Proverbs is all about helping us to make right

choices, to choose the way of God and not that of the deceiver.

Lesson 2

—From Ears to Feet

The Week at a Glance:

S: Hear! (Proverbs 4)

M: Protect Your Family (Proverbs 5)

T: Protect Your Friendship (Prov. 6:1–5)

W: Protect Your Work (Prov. 6:6–8)

T: Protect Yourself (Prov. 6:12–15, 6:16–19)

Memory Text—

Proverbs 4:26, 27

Sabbath Gem:

It’s not enough just to know about right and

wrong; we need to know how to choose right and not wrong.

Training in wisdom consists in hearing proper instruction and in

following and obeying what we have learned so that we don’t end

up walking in the wrong direction.

Lessons for the Visually Impaired

The regular Adult Sabbath School

Bible Study Guide is available free each month in braille and on audio CD to sight-

impaired and physically handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink print. This

includes individuals who, because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, accident,

and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print publications. Contact Christian

Record Services for the Blind, Box 6097, Lincoln, NE 68506-0097. Phone: 402-488-

0981; e-mail: info@christianrecord.org; Web site: www.christianrecord.org.